Lot 378: Captain Durrant (Fl.1790-1830)

Captain Durrant (Fl.1790-1830)
View of Dover Castle taken from the Heights (illustrated); View of Sunderland Bridge; and View of Dover Castle
the first inscribed '- Dover Castle -/- Taken from the Hights [sic] - (upper centre) and further inscribed 'Dover Castle from heights camp' (on a fragment of paper from the album); the second inscribed '- Sunderland Bridge -' (upper centre); the third inscribed '- Dover Castle -' (upper centre) and further inscribed 'Dover Castle' (on a fragment of paper from the album)
pencil and watercolour, one with pen and brown ink, on paper, unframed
9¾ x 15½ in. (25 x 39.4 cm.); Two unframed figure studies; An unframed study of a swan; and An incomplete album of drawings and watercolours, all by the same hand (7)

VAT rate of 5% is payable on hammer price and at 20% on the buyer's premium.
During the Napoleonic Wars (1793-1815), the Royal Navy was capturing ships of the French Navy and its allies and bringing them home as prizes. The crews of these vessels were incarcerated in prison hulks, garrisons and castles and the militia were called upon to guard them. One of these was Captain Durrant, who is thought to have been seconded from the West Yorkshire Regiments to the Leeds Volunteers. Durrant, an accomplished draughtsman, recorded the places he visited whilst undertaking these duties.