TitleHorsehead, Conanicut Island
Artist
William Trost Richards
(American, 1833 - 1905)
Daten.d.
MediumOil on wood panel
DimensionsUnframed: 8 3/4 × 16 in.
Mat size: 18 × 24 in.
Credit LineNational Academy of Design, New York, NY, Bequest of Mrs. William T. Brewster, daughter of the artist, 1952
Object number1532.5-P
Label TextAfter his lengthy sojourn abroad, Richards returned to Newport in October 1880. He discovered that new building construction around his house on Gibbs Avenue blocked his views of the surrounding fields and orchards. It was then that he decided to resettle on Conanicut Island, and purchased property at the crest of the granite cliff at the southern tip of the island. Richards and his wife Anna appear to have played a role in the design of the large shingle style house that graced the property (known as Graycliffe). The house commanded spectacular views of the bay and open sea. In 1899, the United States government purchased the property in order to build Fort Wetherill, which is now a state park. At Conanicut Richards found an endless source of subjects. He found many of his finest views right in his own front yard.
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