James Cave came from a family of local artists. His father William married Anne, the daughter of Thomas Broadway, described as ‘Painter in General to Winchester College’, and had three sons, William, James and John. The family home was 73 High Street, and the building still exists. The wall paintings from the house are in the collection of the City Museum. James is believed to have been Drawing Master at Twyford School and lived at Hamilton House, on the corner of Culver Road and Canon Street, and later in St. Peter’s Street. He established his reputation by illustrating Milner’s History of Winchester, first published in 1789. He died in 1834.

Provenance: David E. Green, October 1979; Bonham’s, 25 March, 2003, lot 51; bequest of Adam Crick (1957-2016) to Winchester College, 2016