TOWER OF LONDON BY SILVIA DURAN

A charming oil on canvas painting by Silvia Duran, depicting a historic view of the Tower of London as seen from the Thames. Original timeworn giltwood frame. Purchased from a Silvia Duran exhibition at Harrods in 1971 and held in the same family ever since.

Silvia Duran was born in Calafell, near Barcelona in Spain. She studied art from a young age; first with her father, Catalan painter Rafael Duran Benet, and then at the Facultat de Belles Arts at the Universitat de Barcelona. She later moved to England where she studied A-level art in order to attend the City & Guilds of London Art School. During her early years in England she enjoyed painting landscape scenes, particularly the River Thames, St. Paul's, and the beautiful English countryside.

However, her life and work changed forever the day she saw the legendary 1966 film 'Born Free'. Thenceforth she knew that she wanted to paint big cats and specialised in these magnificent felines. She was granted access to wildlife parks to sketch and study the animals at close quarters. Many exhibitions followed, in London and overseas. Her works have been widely printed by Solomon & Whitehead, Rosenstiels, Medici Fine Arts, etc. Travelling to Africa to see Lions in their natural habitat, she was later invited by Born Free author George Adamson to stay at 'Kampi Ya Simba' (Camp of the lions) in the Kora National Park in Kenya. Her life's work includes many paintings gifted to the World Wildlife Fund, the Born Free Foundation, the Kora Trust Wildlife Foundation to help raise money for lion conservation.

Canvas size
W: 51cm
H: 45cm