October
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
overall: 71.4 x 61 cm (28 1/8 x 24 in.) framed: 96.5 x 85.4 x 13 cm (38 x 33 5/8 x 5 1/8 in.)
Classification
Painting
Department
CAB
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
The William Stamps Farish Fund
Accession Number
2003.29.1
Art Historical Context
William Trost Richards' *October* (1863), an oil on canvas measuring 71.4 x 61 cm, captures serene beauty of the American landscape during a turbulent time—the height of the Civil War. As a leading figure in the Hudson River School, Richards was renowned for his meticulous, luminous depictions of nature, emphasizing atmospheric light and intricate detail. This painting, now in the National Gallery of Art thanks to The William Stamps Farish Fund, likely evokes the crisp hues and tranquil decay of autumn, inviting viewers to pause amid national strife. Richards' technique in oil on canvas allow...
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...