William Trost Richards

American, 1833-1905

A leading figure in 19th-century American landscape painting, William Trost Richards is recognized for his detailed and luminous depictions of coastal and rural scenes. Born in Philadelphia, he studied briefly under German-born artist Paul Weber and attended the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. By the 1860s, Richards was producing graphite and watercolor studies of plants, reflecting his interest in the natural world and aligning with the Pre-Raphaelite ideal of observation. He also traveled extensively along the Eastern Seaboard, particularly in Rhode Island and Maine, where the dramatic coastlines became central motifs in his later work.

Closely associated with both the Hudson River School and the American Pre-Raphaelite movement, Richards emphasized accuracy and natural observation in his work. He was a member of the American Watercolor Society, the National Academy of Design, and the Association for the Advancement of Truth in Art, a group committed to truthfulness in visual representation. 

Richards exhibited extensively during his lifetime, including at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, the National Academy of Design, the Brooklyn Art Association, and the Boston Art Club. His work is held in major public collections such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the Brooklyn Museum. 

His seascapes and landscapes remain admired for their technical precision and quiet beauty, reflecting a balance of scientific realism and poetic atmosphere that continues to define his legacy in American art.