The Lost Receipt

c. 1815/1819

Sir David Wilkie

Associated Names
Sir David Wilkie
Artist, Scottish, 1785 - 1841
Three individuals are depicted in a room. Two are seated at a desk, appearing focused on an activity. The third stands beside them, holding a hat. The figures lack detail in the lower half. They wear long robes or coats and are surrounded by rolled-up papers or canvas. The setting suggests a historical or artistic environment. The background is dimly lit, emphasizing the central activity. The image is enclosed within a border on a worn page, indicating a historical context, possibly from an old book or manuscript.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    drypoint on chine collé

  • Credit Line

    Gift of Richard A. Simms

  • Dimensions

    plate: 14.4 x 15.7 cm (5 11/16 x 6 3/16 in.)
    page size: 44.5 x 29.9 cm (17 1/2 x 11 3/4 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1994.85.1.f

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Dodgson 1923, no. 9, State iv/iv

  • Volume Title

    Etchings by D. Wilkie, R.A.

Associated Artworks

See all 7 artworks
This is a photograph of an old, worn book cover. The cover is textured and aged with visible wear and tear, particularly along the edges. The cover's main design feature is a rectangular area bordered by a decorative, intricate black pattern. Inside this bordered section, the text "ETCHINGS BY D. WILKIE, R.A. LONDON, 1824." is prominently displayed. The cover is mostly light brown or beige with a reddish spine.

Etchings by D. Wilkie, R.A.

Sir David Wilkie
1824
The image shows three children kneeling on the ground, holding hands or possibly dancing. The central child wears a wide-brimmed hat and a long-sleeved garment. The child to the left wears a smaller hat and a jacket, seen from the back and side. The child to the right looks directly into the scene with short hair and light clothing. A small dog stands nearby. The background features sketchy trees and textured clouds in the sky.

The Sedan Chair

Sir David Wilkie
1815
The image is an etching showing a man standing inside a building, visible from the waist up and leaning out of a window with his body angled slightly toward the viewer. He is holding a piece of paper in his hands, examining it closely. A woman is outside, her back turned to the viewer, with her hair tucked under a bonnet. She wears a long dress and her body is slightly angled as she looks towards the man in the window. The etching is set against a backdrop of a building's façade, with details of brickwork and wooden window frames visible around the window where the man stands. The window is divided into smaller panes, typical of older architectural styles. The overall background is simple, with emphasis on the interaction between the two figures.

Woman at a Window, Reading a Letter

Sir David Wilkie
1813

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

(sale, William Weston Gallery, London, 30 January 1985, no. 69); purchased by Richard A. Simms, Los Angeles; gift to NGA, 1994.

Associated Names

Bibliography

1923

  • Dodgson, Campbell. "The Etchings of Sir David Wilkie, R.A." Walpole Society XI (1922-23): 73ff.

Wikidata ID

Q75125576

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