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Lago Avernus

ca. 1867–70
Not on view
Lago Avernus is an early example of Richards’s work in watercolor. His interest in the medium was stimulated by the founding of the American Watercolor Society in 1867, about the time he departed for his second trip to Europe. The society would provide a forum for him and many other American artists to exhibit their works. Richards’s panoramic view of the volcanic lake above Naples was probably inspired by Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775–1851), who painted the lake on several occasions and whose works he had seen in England. In his watercolors, Richards cultivated a meticulous style based on close study that was a counterpoint to the large oil paintings by the artists of the Hudson River School.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Lago Avernus
  • Artist: William Trost Richards (American, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1833–1905 Newport, Rhode Island)
  • Date: ca. 1867–70
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: Watercolor, gouache, and graphite on blue wove paper
  • Dimensions: 4 1/2 x 9 1/2 in. (11.4 x 24.1 cm)
  • Credit Line: Morris K. Jesup Fund, 2001
  • Object Number: 2001.39
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

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Puget Sound (from Sketchbook X), William Trost Richards American, Graphite on off-white wove paper, American
Puget Sound (from Sketchbook X)
William Trost Richards
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Ship Study (from Sketchbook X), William Trost Richards American, Graphite on off-white wove paper, American
Ship Study (from Sketchbook X)
William Trost Richards
1885
Wooded Landscape (from Sketchbook VII), William Trost Richards American, Graphite on off-white wove paper, American
Wooded Landscape (from Sketchbook VII)
William Trost Richards
1886
Country Road Framed by Trees (from Sketchbook VII), William Trost Richards American, Graphite on off-white wove paper, American
Country Road Framed by Trees (from Sketchbook VII)
William Trost Richards
1886
Still Life with Head and Spear (from Sketchbook X), William Trost Richards American, Graphite on off-white wove paper, American
Still Life with Head and Spear (from Sketchbook X)
William Trost Richards
1885

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