View of Sainte-Marie Cathedral, Bayonne, seen from the river Adour

William Wyld received lessons from F.L.T. Francia (1772-1839) and was an admirer of R.P. Bonington (1802-1828) from whom he acquired 'a sharpness of eye, a dexterity of handling and an individual sense of location which he exploited to the full in the markets of England and France.' M. Pointon, Bonington, Francia and Wyld, London, 1985. Wyld spent most of his working life in France, as secretary to the British Consul in Calais, but also exhibited in London from 1849. Wyld enjoyed painting landscapes but 'the kind of subject which best suits his taste and genius includes palatial architecture, rich foliage, and water, seen in beautiful weather.' (see P.G. Hamerton Portfolio, 1977, 'Wyld's Sketches in Italy', p. 143).