View of London (1849), watercolour on paper, 21 x 31.8 cm., The W. Thomson Smith Memorial Collection {Bequest of Alfred J. Mitchell}, 1948 James D. Duncan. (1866-1881) was born at Coleraine, Ireland and died at Longueil, Quebec. He evidently did some oil painting before he left his native Ireland to emigrate to Lower Canada in 1825. Duncan settled in Montreal by 1830 where he spent the balance of his life as a professional artist working as a portrait and miniature painter and a teacher of drawing. He married Caroline Benedict Power of Sorel, Quebec, in 1834 and served as Lieutenant in Light Infantry during the Rebellion of 1837. Duncan worked in oil and water color and some work is said to have been influenced by Cornelius Krieghoff. This appears in his careful attention to architectural detail and treatment of foliage. He painted a number of portraits and miniatures around 1842 but was better known for his landscapes subjects of the Montreal district, street scenes, pastoral scenery and Indian groups. His many pen and ink sketches were popular and he published several lithographic views of Montreal under title Hochelaga Depicta in 1839 and 1849. In addition, Duncan also participated in Sarony and Major's Views of Quebec 1850 and was an illustrator for Illustrated London News and Canadian Illustrated News (Montreal). He collaborated with Krieghoff in painting a Panorama of Canada. In 1848, he visited London, Canada West. Duncan also designed the "Habitant" penny and half-penny tokens for Bank of Montreal 1837. As a teacher, he taught drawing in Montreal High School, McGill Normal School, British and Canadian School of Lagauchetiere Street, Young Ladies' Academies conducted by Misses Turner and MacIntosh, and the Mackay Institute. Duncan also was in the partnership of Young & Duncan, photographic artists and ambrotypists at Montreal in 1856. He was named Associate of the Royal Canadian Academy in 1880and a member Society of Canadian Artists in 1867 and treasurer of the Montreal Society of Artists in 1847.