Paul Sandby, R.A. 1730-1809

Sir Joseph Banks;
by descent until sold his sale Christie's London, 23rd May 1876, lot 7;
at some time Lady Brabourne, Kent;
acquired by the father of the present owner (by 1960);
by family descent

Sandby exhibited landscape watercolours at the Society of Artists from 1760 and then at the Royal Academy from 1769. In this particular view of Windsor Castle Sandby depicts the houses occupied by the choristers of St George’s Chapel. In the eighteenth century it was known as the Singing Men’s Cloister, and it was also thought that its unusual shape – in the form of a ‘fetterlock’ or horseshoe – derived from one of the badges of its builder, King Edward IV, c. 1480. There appear to be at least three other known gouache versions depicting The Entrance to the Singing Men's Cloister by Paul Sandby, two in the Royal Collection at Windsor and one in the Paul Mellon Center, Yale.


Sandby portrays various characters taking part in daily activities; courting, begging and hawking. A clergyman dashes into the cloister towards the chapel, whilst a knife-grinder goes about his business. The presumably rather painful noise which must emanate from the sharpening of metal on stone serves to emphasize a disturbance to an otherwise peaceful and harmonious gathering on a sunlit day. Sandby’s delightful watercolour of eclectic life outside St George’s Chapel captures an era at Windsor which was soon to end.

Although the Castle had been used regularly by monarchs between the eleventh century and the beginning of the eighteenth-century, neither of the first two Hanoverian kings, George I (1714-27) or George II (1727-60), were attracted to Windsor and both preferred to use Hampton Court Palace as their rural retreat. The Royal apartments fell into disrepair and much of the east and south ranges of the Upper Ward were occupied by retainers. The informality of life in the Castle as recorded by Sandby in this painting, is indicative of the prolonged absence of the Royal family from Windsor. 

By 1776 King George III (1760-1820) decided that he and his growing family should return, on an occasional basis to Windsor. Accessibility to the Castle and parks by the public was changed and after 1776 rigorous rules were applied. Among the General Orders issued by the Castle Governor in 1781 were the following instructions: “no beggars or disorderly persons are upon any account to be allowed to pass their posts and no coaches are to be allowed to stand in any of the Gate ways… The sentries at the King's Gate and Governor’s door, are not to permit any servants or boys to gallop about the court. No Higglers to be allowed to bring any meat, fish or greens to sell in the Court yard of the palace, nor are any articles to be cried out for sale in any part of the palace,” (see Tighe and David, Annals of Windsor, being a history of the Castle and Town, vol II, 1858, pp. 539-40).

This particular watercolour has been drawn on paper and laid on leather. In 1765 wove paper free from chain and laid lines was not easily obtainably. Hence perhaps the use of leather, the flat surface of which forms the perfect base for the application of smooth, gentle strokes of gouache. Paul Sandby's unusual use of gouache upon paper laid upon leather possibly demonstrates the influence of Marco Ricci (1676-1730). Sandby may have seen the series of over thirty works by Ricci acquired by George III from Consul Smith in about 1762, still in the Royal Collection today, (see Luke Herrman, Paul and Thomas Sandby, 1986, p. 32).  

This major work was first bought by Sir Joseph Banks one of Sandby's most important patrons and trusted friends. The artist's son, Thomas Paul Sandby, later recalls that following a "journey [in South Wales, 1773] he [Paul Sandby] ever after remembered with the fondest delight, having experienced from Joseph Banks an attention and kindness, which called forth in him the highest feeling of respect and affection for his liberal patron and worthy friend" (see Monthly Magazine, no. 213, 1 June 1811, p. 437, as quoted in J. Robert's, Views of Windsor, 1995, p. 138). Banks was to become godfather to Paul Sandby's infant daughter, Nancy. Banks is not known to have had any particular connection with Windsor before his unofficial appointment in 1787 as "royal shepherd" in charge of the royal flock of Merino sheep. However he did collect a series of Windsor views by Sandby.

Such highly finished watercolours by Sandby seldom appear at auction. The last comparative works to have been offered for sale were originally in the Bute Collection, see Christie's London, 3 July 1996.