Object number1883.2.6
Commercial England, London
Portfolio/SeriesSixth in the series History of England
Date1882
Artist
William Trost Richards
(American, 1833-1905)
CultureAmerican
MediumWatercolor with gouache
DimensionsImage: 10 3/16 x 16 1/4 in. (25.9 x 41.2 cm)
Mount: 13 x 17 15/16 in. (33 x 45.5 cm)
Mount: 13 x 17 15/16 in. (33 x 45.5 cm)
Credit LineGift of Elias Lyman Magoon
On View
Not on viewPeriod19th c
Classification(s)
SignedOn recto, signed lower right corner in watercolor: Wm.T.Richards.
InscribedOn recto, by artist, lower right corner in watercolor: 1882.
ProvenanceCommissioned by Dr. E. L. Magoon and presented to Vassar CollegeLabel TextIn 1882, the American painter William Trost Richards completed a series of seven watercolors featuring notable English landmarks, each representing a distinct historical period or allegorical theme. Richards had toured and sketched these sites during his travels in Britain from 1878 to 1880. Elias Magoon, a dedicated collector of Richards’ work and one of Vassar’s founding trustees, commissioned these paintings and later donated them to the college. For Commercial England, the artist chose a view of the River Thames in London, which had long been the city’s primary commercial artery. Iconic landmarks like Saint Paul's Cathedral and Blackfriars Bridge hover on a hazy skyline densely packed with historical architecture and industrial additions. Steam vessels and smoke stacks dot the river’s edge, belching fumes that melt into the warm fog enveloping the cityscape.
DescriptionDepiction of the Thames river with several large sailing vessels at left and smaller ones at right. Visible at right is the city of London with Saint Paul's Cathedral dominating the cityscape and Blackfriars bridge barely visible in the distance along the horizon.
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge.
To help improve this record, please email
loebcollections@vassar.edu
