Mary C. Durst Harfleur & Saint-Pierre-sur-Dives Church, Normandy

Mary C. Durst: British & Continental Watercolours 1880s

This painting is one of a charming collection of watercolours that we have for sale by Mary C. Durst of Chatham, Kent. The paintings are the result of Mary's travels in the UK and abroad to France, Germany and Switzerland. Through her brother-in-law William, who at that time was Canon of Winchester (1888–1912) and who had previously been Vicar of Alverstoke, Mary had connections in the Isle of Wight and at Winchester, places she depicts in this collection.

She also paints views in Norfolk, Sussex and on the Continent—recording buildings and views no longer extant or since changed, such as Leyswood House in Kent and Denver Church in Norfolk. Her foreign travels capture Le Havre in the 19th century, prior to the devastation of the following century, a spectacular Fête de Saint-Cloud in Paris, and a fascinating view from Villa des Falaises in Normandy, a location recently painted by Impressionist Alfred Stevens in 1884.

Whilst some of her locations are typical of a 19th-century tourist, her choice of subjects and observed views often have an element of idiosyncrasy, perhaps influenced by her interest in history (annotations sometimes indicating historical anecdotes such as 'where King Charles I used to play bowls') and also her interesting eclesiastical connections. Mary's nephew was the later artist Alan Durst ARA (1883–1970), who was a sculptor and woodcarver, and a member of the London Group of artists.