Glen of Luss near Loch Lomond, Scotland: cottages in a mountainous landscape, with Beinn Chaorach and Beinn Eich in the distance; and Woman and child with a shepherd, a lake and a valley beyond

Little is known about Williams' early career but it is believed that he took classes in Glasgow with David Allan and Alexander Nasmyth. He was also an acquaintance of J.M.W. Turner with whom he is known to have sketched. He occasionally painted in oil, but is better known for his work in watercolour in which he employed broad washes of light colour to great effect. The present pair of watercolours were probably executed between 1793 and 1794 when Williams ran a drawing academy in Glasgow and before he set off on an expedition around Europe. There are examples of his work in national institutions such as the National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh and the Victoria & Albert Museum, London.

Glen Luss, in the vicinity of Loch Lomond, in Argyll & Bute, is a popular destination for hill-walkers keen to climb the 'Corbett' range of hills that include the two visible in the present watercolour, Beinn Chaorach (in the centre) and Beinn Eich (on the right).