The small intimate painting depicts three young women shading themselves from the midday sun in the Mediterranean south. Winterhalter was one of the foremost portrait painters of the mid-nineteenth century. He was in great demand at all the royal courts of Europe and painted over a hundred portraits for Queen Victoria alone. This work was the first one purchased by The Queen and she named this style of genre scene a 'fancy picture'. Osborne House still has nine portraits by the artist but all the 'fancy pictures' by Winterhalter which originally hung in the house have since been removed.

Provenance

Queen Victoria, 1841; by descent to Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught; by descent to his daughter, Lady (Victoria) Patricia Ramsay; Christie's, 1972; Sir David Scott; Sotheby's, 2008.