Thomas Uwins R.A. (1782-1857) - Vintage Time

Uwins first travelled to the continent in 1817 when he spent time living in Bordeaux with the Cabareuss family. They lived in the claret county of the upper Medoc and Uwins produced many sketches of the harvest season as the area was famed for its vineyards. This visit provided the inspiration for his famous 1848 Royal Academy exhibition painting titled 'The Vintage in the Claret Vineyards of the South of France' which is currently in the Tate's collection (no. N00387). The girl in our picture bears a strong resemblence to the lady wearing a white dress in the centre of the RA painting. The watercolour was therefore either completed during his visit to the South of France in 1817 or a later worked up sketch in c.1847 used for inspiration for the exhibition piece.
 
Medium: watercolour on paper, 33.1 x 23.2 cm, framed.
 
Provenance: The Ruskin Gallery (label verso).
 
References:
 
Mrs Sarah Uwins. A Memoir of Thomas Uwins, London: 1858. See pp.47-83 in Vol. 1 for an insight into Thomas Uwins' stay in the South of France.