{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O56542"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O56542/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AM2742/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AM2742/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AM2742","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2018KY8418","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O56542/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O56542","accessionNumber":"FA.212[O]","objectType":"Oil painting","titles":[{"title":"Suspicion","type":"assigned by artist"}],"summaryDescription":"<b>Object Type</b><br>Oil paintings depicting the Italian and Swiss countryside grew in popularity in the first half of the 19th century. They appealed particularly to collectors such as John Sheepshanks and the Reverend Chauncey Hare Townshend.<br><br><b>People</b><br>Thomas Uwins (1782-1857) had worked first as a watercolourist, miniature and portrait painter, and book illustrator. After visiting France, living in Scotland and then in Italy, he returned to England. He soon specialised in oil paintings of Italian genre subjects.<br><br><b>Subjects Depicted</b><br>Most of his works represented happy Italian peasants but in this painting a loftier theme with a note of tragedy is introduced. The painting was exhibited in 1848 with a quotation from an Italian story.<br><br>'Poor Rosa! To relieve the solitude of the villa she would have her chair taken out on the terrace where she would sit for hours listening to the music of a wandering minstrel: even this pleasure was at last denied her.  Donna Chiara the old nun in the household took it into her wise head that the minstrel was a lover in disguise.'<br><br>The theme of the suspicious old woman taking her role of tyrannical chaperone to extremes was one that many Victorian young ladies could sympathise with.","physicalDescription":"Oil on panel depicting three figures, a lady seated on a terrace, being serenaded by a minstrel playing the harp.  She appears to be absorbed in the music, and simultaneously regarded with suspicion by a nun-like housekeeper or 'duenna' who stands, cloaked in black, behind her mistress's chair.  Dated 1848.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Uwins, Thomas (RA)","id":"A8936"},"association":{"text":"painter (artist)","id":"AAT25136"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"oil paint","id":"AAT15050"},{"text":"panel","id":"AAT14657"}],"techniques":[{"text":"oil painting","id":"AAT178684"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Oil on panel","categories":[{"text":"British Galleries","id":"THES48985"},{"text":"Paintings","id":"THES48917"},{"text":"Musical instruments","id":"THES48919"}],"styles":[{"text":"British School","id":"x30967"},{"text":"Victorian","id":"x29321"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2006AM2742","2018KY8418"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"122H (VA)","id":"THES49218"},"free":"","case":"WE","shelf":"","box":"7"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"oil paintings","id":"AAT33799"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Britain","id":"x32019"},"association":{"text":"painted","id":"AAT54216"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1848","earliest":"1848-01-01","latest":"1848-12-31"},"association":{"text":"exhibited","id":"x30227"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by John Sheepshanks, 1857","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"41.9","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"57.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"64","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"framed","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"80","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"framed","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Dimensions checked: Measured; 20/01/1999 by sf","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'T. Uwins. R.A./1848'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Signed and dated by the artist (?) on back"}],"objectHistory":"Given by John Sheepshanks, 1857. By Thomas Uwins RA (born in London, 1782, died in  Staines, Surrey, 1857)\n\nExhibited at the British Institution 1848","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Oil painting by Thomas Uwins entitled 'Suspicion'.  Great Britain, ca. 1848.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"<i>Catalogue of British Oil Paintings 1820-1860</i>, Ronald Parkinson, Victoria and Albert Museum, London: HMSO, 1990, pp. 286-87"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"harps","id":"AAT42047"},{"text":"minstrel","id":"x40587"},{"text":"music","id":"AAT54146"},{"text":"musician","id":"AAT25666"},{"text":"duenna","id":"x47514"},{"text":"terrace","id":"AAT4182"},{"text":"nun","id":"AAT25770"}],"contentConcepts":[{"text":"suspicion","id":"x34880"}],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"British Galleries:\nThe colour, subject and composition of this painting were taken from Italian-style paintings, which were popular with the public. The painting contains a note of tragedy. The suspicious old woman taking her role of tyrannical chaperone to extremes was one with which many Victorian young ladies could sympathise.","date":{"text":"27/03/2003","earliest":"2003-03-27","latest":"2003-03-27"}}],"partNumbers":["FA.212[O]"],"accessionNumberNum":"212","accessionNumberPrefix":"FA","accessionYear":null,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2019LN1142","2019LP2180","2019LP2004","2019LR4893","2019LV7293","2019LV6092"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-23","recordCreationDate":"2001-03-05","availableToBook":false}}