Trees
Artist
William Trost Richards
(American, 1833-1905)
CultureAmerican
Date19th century
MediumOil on paper
DimensionsOverall: 12 x 9 in. (30.5 x 22.9 cm)
InscribedOn verso: "William T Richards" also in illegible writing a word is circled;
In pencil on the mat: #14 (exhibition number)
Credit LineGift of Edith Ballinger Price
Object number94.24.95
Not on view
DescriptionThis is an oil on paper painting, mounted on cardboard. It depicts two trees in the foreground, a forest on the left, in the background and a clearing on right side, background.Label TextWilliam Trost Richards American (1833-1905) Trees Oil on paper Gift of Edith Ballinger Price 94.24.95 William Trost Richards was one of America's most esteemed painters of landscape and coastal views in the second half of the 19th century. He began his career at a time when Americans still had a reverential attitude toward nature and believed that American scenery was a national virtue, as well as a visible sign of God's grace. Richards learned to work directly from nature, and his faithful recording of observed phenomena reflected the influence of John Ruskin, the 19th-century English critic who championed the meticulous recording of nature for both artistic and spiritual purposes. Richards usually painted familiar, domestic locales: northeastern woodlands, Pennsylvania farmland, and the rocky coast of Rhode Island. The simple forest scene found in his masterful oil sketch Trees typifies his straightforward, yet deeply contemplative approach to nature. The work is one of more than 100 paintings, oil sketches, watercolors, and pencil drawings by Richards donated to the Museum in 1994 by his granddaughter, Edith Ballinger Price. Several more of these are on view elsewhere in this exhibition, and all of them can be located on the Museum's online catalogue. Edited By: DS Edited Date: 08/2005 Approved By: MHM Approval Date: 10/13/2005Exhibition History"Hidden Treasures: The Art of William Trost Richards," The Chrysler Museum, Norfolk, VA, October 2, 1993 - January 2, 1994, cat. #14. "Behind the Seen: The Chrysler's Hidden Museum," Large Changing Gallery, Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, Va., October 21, 2005 - February 19, 2006.
