17. The early part of this account
recd. from Mr. Wilsons Freinds [sic]
in Wales in 1784
Richard Wilson,
was born in the year 1714. His Father was
the Revd. John Wilson, Rector of Penegos
in Montgomeryshire 1. Having at an early
age discovered a strong inclination to
drawing His freinds [sic] were encouraged
to place him under the care of Mr. Thomas
Wright, Portrait Painter in London. Mr. Wright
was a social good-humoured man and
had some reputation for copying the
works of different masters, but little
original power in his art. After
Mr. Wilson quitted his master He practised
Portrait Painting in London & occasionally in
the Country several years. 2 In 1748 He went
to Italy. At Venice He remained a
year, where He saw the works of Canaletti,
which made a strong impression on
his mind. From Venice He proceeded
to Rome with Mr. Lock, a gentleman
who has since been much distinguished
for a classical taste. Till this period
it had been for sometime uncertain
whether Mr. Wilson would profess himself
a Landscape painter or continue to
1. and by his mother he was related to Mr. Pratt, first
Lord Camden.
2. He was patronised by the [deleted: Revd. Dr. a] Lyttelton family
and the Revd. Dr. Ayscough, was his friend. He painted [deleted: the]
portraits of [deleted: H] George 3d. & Duke of Gloucester when boys, one
of which was in the possession of Dr. Hayter, Bishop of Norwich.
18.
practise in that branch in which He had
been educated. The efforts He had ^occasionally/ made
in landscape painting displayed so
much originality and ability as to
induce his professional freinds [sic] to
give him the warmest encouragement,
but Vernet who happened then to be
in Rome on seeing Wilsons [sic] pictures
expressed himself so decidedly in favor [sic]
of his landscapes as to determine him
to devote his whole attention to that
branch of the Art. Vernet had
married in Rome the daughter of
Mr. Parker, an Englishman, who had
formerly been in the English navy,
but settled in Rome with his family.
Mr. Wilton, the statuary,-- *and Mr.Mathias,
Portrait painter afterwards Deputy Paymaster
of His Majesty George 3ds Privy purse, were
on terms of great intimacy with Vernet, and
and ^the former/ introduced him to Wilson. -- The
reputation of Vernet was [deleted: then] very
high and the pictures he ^then/ painted
are esteemed the most excellent
of his works .--
* Mr. Mathias was very intimate
with Vernet but left Rome in 1748,
before Wilson arrived in Italy.--
19.
Mr. Wilson became acquainted
while in Italy with several English noblemen
and gentlemen. He made many drawings
studies from nature with black & white
chalk on grey paper, which are touched
with great spirit and feeling and
the effects broad and well understood.
The Earl of Dartmouth had a
considerable number of them, and
He made several for Mr. Lock.--
While Mr. Wilson remained
in Italy He had three pupils.
Harper, a german [sic] who came from
Mentz [sic], and Plimmer, and ^Crone/ Englishmen.--
Harper excelled in making careful
drawings with Black & White Chalk
on grey paper, the effects are not
understood so well as in those by his
master, but the handling is
very skilful. He returned to Germany.
Plimmer was an amicable man, but
did not advance far in his art, He
died in Italy. Crone, returned to
England and died before his master.
20.
Mr. Wilson left Italy and
settled in London in 1755. While He
was pursuing his studies abroad He had
so many commissions that all his
expenses were answered by the profits
arising from them. He left England with
Eighty pounds and returned with one
Hundred.-- among others He had been employed
by Cardinal Albano. His reputation as a
Landscape painter was by this time
fully established with professional
men. but the Arts were at too
low an ebb in England at that
period for his merit to be generally
understood.-- His excellence was
[unfinished]
