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The Reading of the Will
David Wilkie·c. 1813
Historical Context
The Reading of the Will at Hill of Tarvit is a version of Wilkie's famous composition depicting the dramatic moment when a deceased person's testament is revealed. This was among Wilkie's most popular and widely reproduced subjects. In his early career Wilkie's meticulous oil technique was closely modelled on Dutch and Flemish genre masters—Teniers, Ostade, and Wilkie's particular hero, Jan Steen—building up small-scale figure groups with careful attention to costume and domestic setting.
Technical Analysis
The assembled figures express varied emotional responses to the will's contents. Wilkie's careful characterization creates a rich narrative of human reaction.
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