The Tichborne Claimant’s Trial

Godefroy (after) Durand (1832 - 1896)

Oil on canvas

1873-75

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  • About the work
    Location
    Country: UK
    City: London
    Place: Royal Courts of Justice, The Strand

    The trial illustrated in this work is Regina v Castro, known as the Tichborne trial, a notorious trial of the 1870s which captivated the British public, dominated the press for months and made celebrities of the participants. It began after a man living in Wagga Wagga, Australia, claimed to be the missing and presumed dead aristocrat Roger Tichborne. The man was known as the Claimant throughout the trial, which lasted for 188 days, from 23 April 1873 to 28 February 1874, and was at the time the longest running in history.

    This image is based on an illustration first published in ‘The Graphic’ in June 1873, drawn by French artist Godefroy Durand. Durand had settled in London in 1870, joining the permanent staff of ‘The Graphic’ that year.

    The painting largely reproduces Durand’s illustration, except that the figures to the lower right have been replaced by supporters of the Claimant. The portraits of the additional figures seem to have been added using photographs. Other figures in the scene also appear to have had their features revised using contemporary photographs of the individuals concerned. The painting was commissioned for a Wapping pub, which featured in the trial, known as the Globe Tavern or public house.

  • Explore
    Places
    Subjects
    ink pot/ink stand, paper (as Subject), book, British School C19th, shawl, legal costume, top hat, wig, bands, wing collar, judge, jury, trial, courthouse, public interiors
    Materials & Techniques
    canvas, oil, oil painting
  • Details
    Artist
    Godefroy (after) Durand (1832 - 1896)
    Title
    The Tichborne Claimant’s Trial
    Date
    1873-75
    Medium
    Oil on canvas
    Dimensions
    height: 66.50 cm, width: 99.00 cm
    Acquisition
    Origin uncertain
    Inscription
    Former label stated: In Commemoration of the Claimant's Visit to this House, The Globe Tavern, Wapping on the evening of Christmas Day 1866.
    Provenance
    Commissioned for the Globe Tavern, Wapping; located in Royal Courts of Justice prior to 1990
    GAC number
    RCJ15994