Neapolitan Peasants at the Festa of the Madonna del Arco

Thomas Uwins R.A. 24/2/1782 - 26/8/1857

Summary

Rural scene depicting a group of four Italian peasant women and one man carrying banners of the Virgin Mary to a village feast, the women's hair garlanded with leaves. In the foreground, three women are seated to right, to side of path beneath trees, one tending a baby and two holding aloft their banners whilst their male companion, in a red jacket, stands behind them adjusting the banner pole. The fourth woman stands to left in middle of the path, wearing a white blouse over a red skirt, with gold and red trim, looking back at the rest of her group. The rest of the procession can be seen in the middleground, heading towards a village with a domed building in the valley, in the background to left. A lute and a garland of leaves lies discarded in bottom left corner.

Display Label

Neapolitan Peasants at the Festa of the Madonna del Arco 1840 Thomas Uwins 1782-1857 Oil on panel Uwins witnessed this Roman Catholic festival during his visit to Naples in 1825. The artist's depiction of the events is idealised: in a letter he describes them as 'filthy abominations'. The work reflects a fashion for Catholic subjects which emerged after the Emancipation Act of 1829. Paintings such as this echoed widespread curiosity for the more picturesque aspects of Catholicism. This example was owned by Sir Joseph Whitworth, a millionaire engineer from Manchester. Henry McConnel, another local industrialist, also owned a Neapolitan subject by Uwins. Sir Joseph Whitworth bequest 1896.6