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Richard Wilson, 'The Valley of the Dee, with Chester in the Distance', about 1761

About the work

Overview

Like its pair Holt Bridge on the River Dee, which is also in the National Gallery, this is a view of the valley where England and Wales meet. It is probably the ‘View near Chester’ that Wilson exhibited at the Society of Artists in 1761. It was most likely painted downstream from the village of Holt in Denbighshire in North Wales, from a viewpoint five miles to the east of Gresford. The towers of Chester Cathedral and St John’s Church are just visible in the background. The hills in the distance may be in Lancashire, beyond the River Mersey. Wales is on the left of the river and England is on the right.

The style of the landscape is inspired by the work of the seventeenth-century French neoclassical painter, Claude, who depicted views of the countryside outside Rome. His paintings were very fashionable in Britain when Wilson painted this landscape.

Key facts

Details

Full title
The Valley of the Dee, with Chester in the Distance
Artist dates
1713/14 - 1782
Date made
about 1761
Medium and support
oil on canvas
Dimensions
148 × 193.5 cm
Acquisition credit
Bought, 1953
Inventory number
NG6197
Location
Room 34
Collection
Main Collection
Frame
19th-century Replica Frame

About this record

If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.

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