A view of Powderham Castle, Devon, with figures and deer in the park, the river Exe with shipping beyond

Powderham Castle sits on the west bank of the river Exe, in the former Manor of Powderham. The original building was a fortified manor house, with an inner mediaeval core dating to the late 14th or early 15th century. This first structure was built by Sir Philip Courtenay (1355-1406), the son of Sir Hugh de Courtenay (1303-1377) and Margaret de Bohun (1311-1391), from whose marriage all the subsequent Courtenay Earls of Devon descended. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the castle was expanded greatly, with the Belvedere Tower added in 1771 and further additions and alterations made to suit neo-Gothic Victorian taste, under the guidance of the Devon-born architect Charles Fowler. The castle has witnessed some key events in British history, coming under siege for seven weeks during the Wars of the Roses in 1455, and being garrisoned in 1645 by Royalist soldiers during the Civil War. A Royalist outpost, Powderham came under persistent attack from Parliamentarians before finally being captured in January 1646; in the exchanges the castle suffered extensive damage. The castle still remains the seat of the Courtenay Earls of Devon, and the present picture was indeed gifted to Lady Agnes Elizabeth Courtenay, the daughter of William Reginald Courtenay, 11th Earl of Devon.

Francis Towne was probably born in Isleworth in 1739 or 1740, though previous biographies had believed him to be from Devon, perhaps given his long association with the area. He embarked on several sketching trips throughout his life, notably to Italy and Switzerland, and while he is generally more familiar as a watercolour artist, he did occasionally work in oils. This impressive view of Powderham can be compared to other scenes he painted around Exeter, including the view of Haldon Hall, c.1780, in the Tate, and the view of Exeter seen from Exwick, in the Royal Albert Memorial Museum.