Circle of Captain Thomas Davies (c.1737-1812)
A view of the town of St. George and Richmond Heights, Grenada
Oil on canvas, 64cm by 90cm

Provenance: Anon Christie's sale, London, 27 September 1946, lot 85 (as Canadian School), 6gns to Gimpel
Private Collection, UK

Captain Thomas Davies was born c.1737 in Shooter's Hill (London), England and died 16 March 1812 in Blackheath (London). He rose to the rank of Lieutenant-general in the Royal Artillery. He studied drawing and recorded military operations in watercolours during several military campaigns in North America. He later became a noted artist and naturalist and he was the first to illustrate and describe the superb lyrebird. In 1783 Davies was also elevated to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and was in command of the artillery in Gibraltar.
He is known to have visited Grenada in 1786 and was a fellow of the Royal and Linnean Society, London.
His work was not well known until after a 1953 auction from the Earl of Derby's library. His paintings were later shown as part of a major exhibition, 2 July - 4 September 1972, at the National Gallery of Canada. A Davies Sketchbook is held in the National Gallery of Canada, Ottowa. 1776 - 86.
An untraceable painting by Louis Belanger was painted in 1797, which depicts an entirely similar view to that depicted in the present work, although the foliage in Belangers work seems more mature, perhaps suggesting that the image was produced some years after the painting featured here.