Woodland Plants
William Trost Richards1859
The Walters Art Museum
Baltimore, United States
Richards was a Philadelphia artist who was known for his meticulously faithful rendering of nature inspired by the writings of the influential critic John Ruskin. Ruskin's influence can be seen on Richards' work from 1858; this work is dated 5 July 1859 and is therefore an early example. The artist's initials can be seen carved into the bark of the tree in the background.
William T. Walters owned a oil by Richards title "Tulip Trees" executed in the same year, however, he sold this work in around 1861 when he relocated to Paris at the time of the Civil War. At this time Walters shifted his collecting activity from American to European art. "Tulip Trees" is now in the collection of the Brooklyn Museum of Art.
- Title: Woodland Plants
- Creator: William Trost Richards (American, 1833-1905)
- Date Created: 1859
- External Link: For more information about this and thousands of other works of art in the Walters Art Museum collection, please visit art.thewalters.org
- Roles: Artist: William Trost Richards (American, 1833-1905)
- Provenance: William T. Walters, Baltimore; inherited by Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1894; by bequest to Walters Art Museum, 1931.
- Object Type: drawings
- Medium: pencil on paper heightened with white
- Inscriptions: [Signature] Lower right: July 5th / 59 W.T. Richards
- Exhibitions: Botanical Delights: Floral Motifs in 19th-Century Art. Government House, Annapolis; Strathmore Hall Art Center, North Bethesda; Academy Art Museum, Easton. 1998-1999., A Discerning Eye: Nineteenth-century Drawings and Watercolors. Academy Art Museum, Easton. 1998-1999.
- Dimensions: H: 7 1/8 x W: 5 5/16 in. (18.1 x 13.5 cm)
- Credit Line: Acquired by William T. Walters
- Classification: Painting & Drawing
- Accession Number: 37.1548
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