Ash and Alder Aug 18 1885 (from Sketchbook X) 1885

William Trost Richards made this graphite drawing titled 'Ash and Alder Aug 18 1885' as part of his Sketchbook X. Richards, an American artist, was deeply involved in the artistic and cultural dialogues of his time. In this drawing, we see a quick rendering of trees, sketched with an eye for detail yet retaining a sense of immediacy. The work reflects the late 19th-century interest in landscape as a subject worthy of artistic attention, part of a broader cultural movement that saw nature as both a source of spiritual renewal and a site of scientific inquiry. Richards's sketch also touches on the institutional history of art. During this period, sketchbooks were not always seen as finished artworks, but as preparatory tools or personal records, therefore their presence in a museum collection today prompts us to reconsider our understanding of artistic value. To fully grasp the nuances of Richards's work, we might delve into archives of artistic correspondence, exhibition records, and period publications to better understand the social conditions that shaped his artistic production.