Completed British 18th C, except portraits 14 Could this painting be by Richard Wilson (1714–1782) or his studio?

One of many versions no doubt. Let's ask Paul Spencer Longhurst to look at a high res? But good spot Tim from 'Religious scene'.

Thanks Bendor - I did get a reply from Dr Spencer Longhurst a couple of days ago, he said:

"Thank you very much for drawing the Whitworth painting (0.1.1954) to my attention. As compiler of 'Richard Wilson Online' I have the painting on my database but it is not published in the online catalogue raisonne as I have not yet seen it and it is traditionally listed as ascribed to Wilson. From what I can see on 'Art Detective' this may be an accurate description but I am in touch with the Whitworth and will follow up with a visit if it seems promising."

So I think the Whitworth could update the title to 'White Monk' and maybe the artist to after Wilson until Dr Spencer Longhurst is able to inspect it in person.

The only way forward is an inspection by an expert. Could Tim contact Spencer Longhurst again to see if he has an opportunity yet?

The collection has updated the title to 'The White Abbott' [sic]. https://bit.ly/34q6u3a

It would be good to know why was this chosen, rather than the traditional 'White Monk'? Regarding the attribution, the picture isn't on 'Richard Wilson Online', but I don't know whether that's a deliberate omission or because Paul Spencer-Longhurst hasn't been able to see it yet.

I see what has happened. The title has been confused with the artist John White Abbott. https://bit.ly/3mrWuMZ

Monks and Abbotts ...

These entries on Art UK, with different accession numbers and slightly different dimensions, appear to refer to the same picture.
https://bit.ly/3anSo6h
https://bit.ly/3r9Sa8L

The curators at The Whitworth have thanked us for bringing these potential errors to their attention. Unfortunately, they have no access to the original acquisition records at present, but as soon as they are permitted to return to the gallery they will look into these two works and come back to us.

Even if we leave this discussion open until someone authoritative can study the actual painting, can we at least ask the Whitworth to allow a change of artist and title to reflect the undoubted fact that is is a version of Wilson's 'The White Monk'? The most conservative attribution would be 'After Richard Wilson' with the above accepted title, as Tim Williams proposed almost exactly six yeats ago!

Thank you, Andrew. I've suggested this to the collection.

It is a pity that after almost six years Paul Spencer Longhurst has been unable to inspect the picture, whether in person or in the form of a high resolution image. Could such an image be supplied to him?

Jacob, I received a reply from Paul Spencer-Longhurst this morning. I will update the discussion after he has seen the TIFF file.

I would like to thank Paul Spencer-Longhurst for these very helpful comments:

'On the evidence of the TIFF the painting is certainly close to Wilson, though the overall impression it makes does not seem quite right visually. This may be partly due to the unusual darkness of the work – if the image is faithful – and the less than ideal facture in places, such as the foreground figures or the distant mountain. The presumed painting-out of the parasol is also confusing and needs investigation. As ever, it would be necessary to study the real thing to make a more precise assessment, but for the time being I would attribute the picture to Studio of Wilson, thus tentatively making it one of the many studio versions of this ‘good breeder’, in Wilson’s own words.

It is certainly a version of The White Monk – II (Richard Wilson Online, P145, P145A, P145B), and comparable in dimensions particularly to P145A (National Museum Wales, Cardiff) and P145B (Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, MA). Those dimensions could also link it to a version recorded in W.G. Constable’ s monograph (1953), p. 228 as ‘III. Without the umbrella (4) in the collection of Sir Walter Maxwell-Scott Bt, Abbotsford and previously in the collection of Mrs John A. Loggan, Washington D.C. This was reported by Ellis Waterhouse ‘who considers it certainly by Wilson’ – a vote of confidence indeed. However, we would need details of provenance from the Whitworth before taking that any further.

I hope the above is a little helpful, at least. It is certainly an interesting picture and I now am keen to see it when the Whitworth admits visitors again.'

We are aware that the image is now missing from this discussion owing to the removal of a duplicate artwork record from Art UK.

'Religious Scene' has been deleted and the image for it attached to the correct record, namely 'The White Monk', 1760s, acc. no. O.1954.1

The attribution will be updated in due course.