Folio album of original pen and ink sketches compiled by the artist while on a tour of Rome in 1840. The album contains over 250 mounted drawings executed on tracing paper and these vary in size from a few inches square to full and half-page preparatory sketches for paintings.

Contemporary half vellum, marbled boards. Signed Stewart Wilson, Rome 1840, on inner cover, above which is mounted the main section of the title page for the sale catalogue, March 1887, of the 'Collection of Engravings, Prints, Original Drawings, etc., formed by the late James T. Gibson-Craig, Esq., 24 York Place, Edinburgh'. Also pasted in is the section in the sale catalogue noting Wilson's album as Lot 414, and Lots 409-413 being albums by Allan Ramsay, David Allan, Patrick Gibson, John Clerk, and H.W. Williams.

Sketches include topographical and architectural details, studies and copies made from works of art, sculpture, and armour, character studies from life, and also drawings of interior groupings of figures. Watson may well have used these when composing his historical paintings.