The Spring 1863 William Trost Richards American This beautifully fashioned composition, possibly based on scenery in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, is part of a group of such works in pencil or charcoal that Richards executed in the early 1860s. Some were made as designs for his paintings of woodland interiors made during the Civil War years, others were done as independent drawings or possibly for display in his studio as advertisements for commissions. In 1863, the year this drawing was made, Richards was elected a member of the Society for the Advancement of Truth in Art, which comprised the American followers of John Ruskin. The exceptional dexterity and tonal range in this drawing presages the remarkable craftsmanship Richards brought to watercolor in the 1870s.. The Spring. William Trost Richards (American, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1833-1905 Newport, Rhode Island). American. 1863. Graphite on green wove paper