Durand, John

John Durand (active 1765–1782) was a colonial American portraitist. With John Mare, Abraham Delanoy, and Lawrence Kilburn, he was one of a number of portraitists living and working in New York City during the 1760s. Nothing is known of Durand's origins, training or upbringing, as is often the case with colonial American painters. As he is referred to in two different known sources as "monsieur Duran" it has been assumed that he was of French descent. This assumption has been bolstered by the rococo colors used in his paintings, which some sources have taken to suggest that if not born in France he was at least trained there. It appears more likely, however, that he is the same "John Durand" that was apprenticed to Charles Catton in London on September 15, 1760, for a seven-year term. Just when Durand emigrated is unknown; he is first recorded in Virginia in 1765, but by 1766 was in New York City, where an entry in the account book of James Beekman records payment to the artist for portraits of the six Beekman children. In 1767 he advertised the opening of a drawing school in New York, on Broad Street. New York remained his base of operations for some years, although signatures on a...