Richard Wilson

Richard Wilson was professionally active between 1734 and 1753, a period marked by significant developments in European draftsmanship and landscape art. The body of work attributed to the artist and preserved in major institutional collections consists of fifteen drawings, demonstrating a focused approach to topographical and imaginative landscape subjects.

Wilson’s surviving oeuvre explores diverse natural environments, suggesting an engagement with the prevailing classical landscape tradition. Key works reveal his technical command in depicting both intimate architectural elements and broad scenic vistas. Notable examples include the atmospheric study Interior of a Grotto and the detailed composition Rocky Landscape with Standing Figure. Other subjects, such as Italian Landscape with Umbrella Pine in Foreground, indicate the importance of Italianate motifs in his practice. The preserved sketch Landscape with Woman and Cows (recto) with its companion Sketch of a Landscape (verso) provides valuable insight into the artist’s working methodology.

Richard Wilson's drawings are represented in prestigious American museums, establishing their importance for historical collections. Works are held by the Art Institute of Chicago, the National Gallery of Art, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Because of their institutional provenance, many high-quality prints derived from these drawings are available for study in the public domain, ensuring continued accessibility to researchers interested in Richard Wilson prints and 18th-century draftsmanship.