During the 1880s Nicholas Chevalier’s health began to decline and severe gout in his right hand interrupted his ability to paint for long periods. In an attempt to relieve his condition Chevalier and his wife spent winters on the island of Madeira in Portugal, where his final watercolours were made. This watercolour was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1895, shortly before Chevalier was obliged to give up painting altogether, spending his retirement in London writing stories and poetry and directing an amateur orchestra.