Hugh William "Grecian" Williams (Scottish 1773-1829)

Artist: Hugh William "Grecian" Williams (Scottish 1773-1829).
Title: View of Lyon.
Medium: Ink, pen and graphite on paper.
Framed Size: Height 45.5 cm x Width 106 cm x Depth 2.5 cm.
Image Size: Height 28.5 cm x Width 88.5 cm.
Condition: The drawing is in good original condition. Two sheets have been joined with wax as a joining medium at the centre, this was Williams's practice for joining his panoramic drawings. The drawing has been conservatory mounted and the title is under the mount.
Provenance: Baron Dr Cornelius Ver Heydon de Lancy 1889-1984 (Baron Delahanty).
Christie’s April 7, 1998, Lot 24. Private Collection London.
NOTE: The Christie’s sale catalogue is complementary to the purchase of this drawing.

About: Hugh William Williams was a pupil of the Scottish Romantic artist David Allan, whose influence can be seen in the quality of Williams's draughtsmanship. Williams was one of the few nineteenth-century Scottish watercolour painters to find a market for his work in London.

This panoramic drawing by Hugh William “Grecian” Williams was drawn on his tour of Italy and Greece. This tour was instrumental in establishing Williams's reputation as a landscape painter. He undertook several large landscape paintings and his preparatory drawings were made from joined sheets, as this is. One of Scotland's finest landscape artists Williams painted in mostly watercolour. He was a good friend of fellow artist, Joseph Mallord William Turner, who both influenced each other.

Williams published Select Views of Greece (1827-29), which earned him the nickname “Grecian”. Williams is held in numerous institutional and private collections including The Tate, London. Royal Scottish Academy. Scottish National Gallery. This is an exceptional and imposing drawing, and a fine example of Williams draughtsmanship. Titled "Lyon France" under the mat.