Landscape with Forest, Fields, and Mountains (from Sketchbook X)

Art Historical Context

William Trost Richards, a 19th-century American artist captures the sublime beauty of the American wilderness in *Landscape with Forest, Fields and Mountains* (from Sketchbook X), dated 1885. This graphite sketch on off-white wove paper just 5 x 7 1/2 inches, revealing Richards' keen eye for natural detail during his travels sketching en plein air. As part of the Hudson River School's legacy, Richards emphasized precise observation of nature, blending Romantic grandeur with scientific accuracy influenced by John Ruskin. The work showcases layered forests, rolling fields, and distant mountains, rendered with delicate graphite lines that evoke texture and depth on a modest scale. Wove paper, smooth and versatile, was ideal for such preparatory studies, allowing Richards to build intricate compositions quickly. Housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing, this piece highlights the era's fascination with untamed landscapes as symbols of national identity. Visitors will appreciate how this sketchbook gem bridges studio painting and fieldwork, offering a window into Richards' process amid America's Gilded Age environmental awe.

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...