was tireless in the production of studies, sketches, pictures. Through the generous praise of recognized authorities such as Zucarelli, Mengs, and Vernet, a report of his surprising achievements reached England, and when he returned to London in 1755 it was to find his reputation practically established. His solemn style did not, however, at once commend itself to the artists of his time. Wright says that his return excited "some interest and much criticism in the coteries of art," and that certain artists "who then constituted themselves, what they called A Committee of Taste, and led the understanding of the public in art" sat in judgment on Wilson's work and resolved "That the manner of Mr. Wilson was not suited to the English, and that if he hoped for patronage he must change it for the lighter style of Zucarelli." When this committee waited on Wilson it was met with cool contempt, and he painted on in his own fashion. But the committee's estimate of patronage was apparently correct, for during the lifetime of the artist, in spite of the fact that during a period of twenty-five years he assiduously painted landscapes, he did not achieve an even moderately comfortable livelihood. His life was one of sordid financial shifts and of growing bitterness of spirit, until, in 1780, through a small inheritance, he was enabled to retire to a little patrimony in Wales, where, broken and enfeebled, he spent the two years before his death.

Wilson's work as a landscape painter began certainly as early as 1750 in Italy, and all probabilities are in favor of the supposition that it began earlier in England. To be sure, no juvenile sketches, no anecdotes of youthful tendencies, remain to substantiate this conjecture. Even the "View of Dover," the one landscape known to have been painted before the Italian visit, is no longer in existence. But the IT. Wright, "The Life of Richard Wilson, R.A.,” p. 72.

fact that this picture was at once engraved by J. S. Miller would seem to indicate that it was counted a work of some importance. Furthermore, when Wilson began his work in Italy there was no apprentice period. Work done in the early years there shows a management of landscape detail and composition quite equal to that of his later work, and such as would not be prepared for by the most zealous study in portraiture. It is, indeed, hardly believable that a pronounced passion for landscape such as characterized Wilson should never have tempted his brush till he was thirty-six, and should then, at the chance words of a fellow-artist suddenly open out before him as his life-work. Edwards

Edwardes is responsible for the anecdote that attributes Wilson's change from portraiture to landscape to the advice of Zucarelli. But we have, on the other hand, the more probable account given by Mr. Hastings in a volume of etchings made by him from the Ford collection of Wilson's paintings. Mr. Hastings gives Mr. Rs (probably Mr. Samuel Rogers, the author of "Italy" and an art connoisseur) as authority for the statement that an influential patron of the arts, Mr. William Lock of Norbury, perceived Wilson's bent toward landscape of the grand sort, and urged him to go to Italy as the best place to perfect himself in that art. Mr. Beaumont Fletcher, Wilson's latest biographer, considers that the artist was fully conscious of his powers as a landscape painter, and that his visit to Rome was premeditated for the purpose of study in that particular line.' Sir Walter Armstrong also maintains the probability, almost certainty, of landscape work by Wilson prior to the Italian

tour.'

Beaumont Fletcher, "Richard Wilson, R.A.," p. 90.

• Sir Walter Armstrong, "Gainsborough and His Place in English Art," p. 63.

The landscapes painted by Wilson between 1755 and 1760, the date of the first public exhibition of pictures' in England, cannot be absolutely identified, but he was probably spending much of his time in painting from the sketches made in Italy. In the exhibition of 1760 was his "Niobe." In the same year he painted an upright picture of the Arno for the drawing-room mantel-piece of a patron in Platt Hall, Manchester. In 1761 were exhibited "The Lake of Nemi" and other Italian pictures. The "Phaeton" appeared in 1763, the "L'Anconetta" in 1764, the "Villa Madama" in 1765, and many other Italian pictures in these and successive years. By 1768 he had exhibited about thirty landscapes nearly all of which were based on his Italian sketches, and it was his custom through his life to paint pictures the chief elements of which were the sunny skies and ruined temples of classic regions.

A recognition of the great influence of Italy over Wilson's mind and art should not, however, be allowed to obscure the fact that he gave equally sympathetic response to the scenes of his own land. When Stothard was a student at the Royal Academy he asked Wilson to suggest to him something to copy, and Wilson, who happened to be looking out over the Thames, responded that there could not well be anything better to copy than that. That he loved English scenery becomes apparent when we study such pictures as the lovely "English Landscape" in the possession of the Rev. Stopford Brooke, the "River Scene with Castle" in the South Kensington Gallery, the "View on the Wye" in the National Gallery, the "De Tabley House" in the possession of A. T. Hollings

In 1755 there had been an exhibition started by Hogarth for the benefit of the Foundling Hospital. It was the success of this enterprise that led to the establishment of public exhibitions in 1760.

• Reproduced in Beaumont Fletcher's "Richard Wilson, R.A."

worth, "Wilton in Wiltshire," "View in Kew Gardens," "Sion House," and "A View near Chester." The dates of these English pictures can seldom be determined, but it is evident that he made occasional sketching tours, for the exhibitions record views in Bedfordshire, Devonshire, and Cheshire, besides those of places in the immediate neighborhood of London such as St. James' Park, Windsor Great Park, Kew Gardens, and Hounslow Heath.

But none of these English pictures, and few even of his Italian ones, can compare in dignity and beauty with his notable Welsh views. He certainly visited Wales before 1766 for in that year he exhibited two views from North Wales, "Carnarvon Castle" and "Northwest View of Snowdon." It seems very likely that when he was painting at Manchester and Chester in 1760 he took the opportunity to visit his old home, but there are no dated Welsh pictures before 1766. But even this date gives him no predecessors among artists painting in Wales except men so inferior as John Boydell and Anthony Devis. Other Welsh pictures were exhibited by Wilson in 1771 and 1774. In 1775 Boydell published "Six Views in Wales," engravings by Byrne and Rooker from Wilson's pictures. Britton in his "Fine Arts in England" (1805) said that "Wilson's 'Six Views' were the most important topographical views ever published in England." But they only partially represent the great amount of work done by Wilson on Welsh subjects. In the Print Room of the British Museum are engravings from many other fine Welsh pictures such as "The Great Bridge over the Taafe," engraved by Canot, "Kilgarren Castle," engraved by Elliott, "Pembroke Castle" by Mason, "Carnarvon

• Reproduced in "Magazine of Fine Arts," November, 1805.
• Engraved by W. Watts in 1786.
• Engraved by W. Birch in 1779.

Print Room of British Museum.
Print Room of British Museum.