Ravilious bought these two caravans which were originally used as fever wagons in the Boer War and had them towed to a site on the South Downs.
Ravilious and his wife lived in one caravan and used the other as a studio, both of which were concealed in bushes to avoid upsetting the landowner. This watercolour is a good example of Ravilious ‘mark-making’ and dry brushwork which is a reflection of the season. There is a sense of modernity about the picture and the abstract shapes make this stylistically unlike the other work in the Fry collection.
Provenance
Zwemmer Gallery, London, 1936; private collection; by descent. Sold through Art and Antiques Appraisals Ltd.