Oldmixon, Chester County, Pennsylvania

The distinguished Philadelphia landscape painter William Trost Richards bought a farm in Western Chester County in 1884, opening up new terrain, quite literally, for the artist. The farm, called Oldmixon, was located not far from present-day Coatesville, firmly within the Brandywine Valley. While his daughter and son-in-law ran a poultry business at Oldmixon, Richards set up a studio on the property, which boasted expansive views of hills, farmland, and wooded areas for the artist’s delectation. His work in Chester County contrasted sharply with his coastal New England scenes, evoking the pastoral turn of seasons rather than the dramatic clash of sea and rocks. The glare of the low-hanging sun in this watercolor is reflected in the stream below—water that will eventually flow into the Brandywine.