Mountain Sketch (from Sketchbook X)
Medium
Graphite on off-white wove paper
Dimensions
5 x 7 1/2 in. (12.7 x 19.1 cm)
Classification
Drawing
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Gifts in memory of Stephen D. Rubin, 1992
Accession Number
1992.2.2nn verso
Tags
Art Historical Context
William Trost Richards, a American artist of the late 19 century, captured the rugged beauty of mountains in this intimate *Mountain Sketch* from his *Sketchbook X*, dated1885. Rendered in graphite on off-white wove paper, the modest 5 x 7 1/2-inch sheet exemplifies Richards' meticulous approach to nature studies. As a key figure in American landscape art, influenced by the Hudson River School emphasis on realistic detail and the sublime in the natural world, he filled numerous sketchbooks with such on-site observations during his travels. Graphite's versatility allowed Richards to achieve su...
About the Artist
William Trost Richards · 1833–1905
William Trost Richards (1833–1905) was a prominent American landscape and marine painter born in Philadelphia, where he attended Central High School before beginning his artistic training. Between 1850 and 1855, he studied part-time under the German-born Hudson River School artist Paul Weber while working as a designer and illustrator of ornamental metalwork. He exhibited his first works at the Pe...