Gertrude Spurr Cutts was an accomplished artist when she came to Canada from her native England in 1891. Throughout the early years of the century, the titles of many of Cutts' works indicate that she made numerous sketching trips throughout Ontario, including such places as Haliburton, Thorold and St. Catharines. But, Welsh and English subjects also continue to appear, notably the ruins of Tintern Abbey in The Vale of Tintern. This piece is typical of the artist's work in which ruins or rustic cottages are often shown, set in picturesque landscapes reminiscent of English painter John Constable. After her marriage to Toronto artist William Cutts in 1909, the couple spent several years living and working in St. Ives on England's Cornish coast.