Study for Elijah

This represents a most unusual aspect in de Wint's oeuvre. It relates to a lost watercolour which was exhibited at the Old Watercolour Society in 1829, where it was well-reviewed by critics. One described it as 'a classical composition, being a new feature in the practice of an artist who has hitherto so successfully devoted his rare talents to the familiar and ordinary character of landscape'. This type of historical landscape, which harks back to the work of artists such as Salvator Rosa and Gaspar Poussin, may have been inspired by his long association with William Hilton, who was not only his brother-in-law, but also an artist who worked in the 'grand manner'. Other studies for the watercolour are housed in the Yale Center for British Art, New Haven.