Study of an oak tree on the Datchet Lane, Windsor

Paul and his brother Thomas (1721/23-1798) both trained initially as military draughtsmen to the Board of Ordnance. In 1746, Thomas had joined the household of William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, who had been appointed Ranger of Windsor Great Park in the July and from 1748, Thomas was charged with producing a series of views of the Park. On his return from Scotland in 1751, where he had been appointed as a draughtsman for the Military Survey of Scotland, Paul spent a great deal of time at Windsor with his brother, capturing the castle, the park and its surroundings. Datchet Lane, with its distinctive high walls and ancient trees, is on the Northern approach to Windsor Castle, and was a frequent subject for the younger artist.