W. Allcot Thatched Hut with Child Atop Cannon

An original 1807 watercolour painting, Allcot, Thatched Hut with Child Atop Cannon.

This interesting view from the beginning of the 19th century shows a girl atop a military cannon, set in what is likely open Kent landscape. The county of Kent had long been a key strategic area in national defence given its proximity to the Continent. The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars of 1793–1815 saw Britain face unprecedented threat of invasion, with the rapid expansion of the fortifications at Dover and the great Martello Tower programme. Vulnerable sites such as beachfronts, harbours and open countryside were locations for cannon. This rural view, however, is a reminder of the local life that continued despite these military threats.

In watercolour with graphite.