The Valley of the Dee, with Chester in the Distance

The Valley of the Dee, with Chester in the Distance
Artist	Richard Wilson
Year	1761
Type	Oil on canvas, landscape painting
Dimensions	148 cm× 193.5 cm(58 in× 76.2 in)
Location	National Gallery, London

The Valley of the Dee, with Chester in the Distance is a 1761 landscape painting by the British artist Richard Wilson. ^[1] It depicts the valley of the River Dee on the border of England and Wales, showing a view downstream from the village of Holt Denbighshire. In the distance is the city of Chester with the towers of Chester Cathedral and St John's Church just visible. It reflects Wilson's interest in the works of the seventeenth century French artist Claude Lorrain. ^[2]

The painting was displayed at the Exhibition of 1761 at the Society of Artists at Spring Gardens. Today it is in the collection of the National Gallery along with his companion piece Holt Bridge on the River Dee, having been acquired in 1953. ^[3]

References

1. Solkin p.28
2. https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/richard-wilson-the-valley-of-the-dee-with-chester-in-the-distance
3. https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/the-valley-of-the-dee-with-chester-in-the-distance-115886

Bibliography

• Postle, Martin & Simon, Robin. Richard Wilson and the Transformation of European Landscape Painting. Yale Center for British Art, 2014.
• Solkin, David H. Richard Wilson: The Landscape of Reaction. Tate Gallery, 1982.