The Life of Captain John Duncan King

Born in 1789, John Duncan King lived a life split between the discipline of the British Army and the quiet observation of the landscape. He entered military service in August 1806, moving through the ranks as a soldier before becoming a lieutenant in February 1808. His early years were defined by the movements of the army, including the Walcheren expedition and the Peninsular War. During the campaigns in Spain, he was wounded severely on 28 July 1813. By the time the Allies occupied Paris in 1815, his path was already set by the requirements of his commission.

The steady progression of his military career continued for many years. He was promoted to the rank of captain on 16 March 1830. Shortly after this advancement, his official duties shifted; on 28 December 1830, he was placed on half-pay. This transition allowed him to turn more fully toward his talent for painting. He became known as both an army officer and a landscape-painter, finding a way to translate the sights he encountered into visual form.

Military Service and Artistic Exhibitions

His life was marked by the movements of the British Army. He served during the Walcheren expedition and saw the Peninsular War, facing the battles of Busaco, Vitoria, and the Pyrenees. On 28 July 1813, he was wounded severely. By 1815, he was present during the occupation of Paris by the Allies. These years of service preceded a steady presence in the art world, where his sketches and views began to find a public audience.

In 1824, he exhibited a view in Spain at the Royal Academy, based on a drawing by Lieutenant-general Hawker. His interest in foreign landscapes continued; in 1836, he sent a view in Portugal to an exhibition. He was a frequent contributor to the British Institution, where he sent thirty-nine landscapes over the course of his career. The final landscape from this collection was sent in 1858.

Notable Landscapes and Artworks

His brush often turned toward the quietude of the landscape, capturing specific moments of light and weather. In 1843, he exhibited a piece titled A Pilgrim, a work that moved away from the military settings of his earlier years. His interest in the natural world extended to the coast and the hills, seen in works like Brighton Beach the day before the Storm and A COASTAL VIEW. These pieces suggest a keen eye for the shifting atmosphere of the shoreline.

The topography of Ireland and the English countryside also appear in his output. He painted View of the Sugar Loaf Mountain from the River Dargle, County Wicklow in 1848, focusing on the specific contours of the Irish landscape. Other studies include View at Hampstead and his later work, The Old Lock, Windsor, which he painted about 1857.

• A Pilgrim (1843)
• View of the Sugar Loaf Mountain from the River Dargle, County Wicklow (1848)
• Brighton Beach the day before the Storm
• View at Hampstead
• A COASTAL VIEW
• The Old Lock, Windsor (about 1857)

Later Years and Death

In his later years, King’s life became closely tied to the surroundings of Windsor. Around 1852, he was made a Military Knight of Windsor, a distinction that marked his standing. He spent his remaining time residing within Windsor Castle, living in the shadow of the stone walls and the history of the site.

The quiet routine of his final years ended in Windsor. He died there on 21 August 1863. His presence in the castle remained until his death in 1863.