William Hodges, R.A. (London 1744-1797 Devon)

This picture, which was thought by Constable (op. cit.) to be by Richard Wilson has recently be reattributed to William Hodges. It is thought likely to have been painted early in Hodges' career, in the late 1760s or early 1770s, before he set off as the official artist on Captain James Cook's second voyage to the South Pacific in 1772. Hodges, who had first attended classes at William Shipley's Academy in the Strand, was apprenticed to Richard Wilson from 1758 until 1765, and Wilson's work greatly influenced his development.