English painter. According to his friend George Vertue, he was trained by William Faithorne and by Dirk Freres (1643–93), a Dutch history and decorative painter. Stylistically, he appears to have been strongly influenced by Michael Dahl. He was in independent practice by 1694. Several of his portraits were engraved. He painted some formal episcopal portraits, including Philip Bisse, Bishop of Hereford (Oxford, New Coll.; engraved by Vertue 1719); George Hooper, Bishop of Bath and Wells, signed and dated 1723 (Wells Cathedral); and William Wake, Archbishop of Canterbury (?c. 1730; London, N.P.G.).

Hill was loosely associated with the Hudson River School of painters. He made early trips to the White Mountains with his friend Benjamin Champney and painted White Mountain subjects throughout his career. An example of his White Mountain subjects is Mount Lafayette in Winter. Hill acquired the technique of painting en plein air. These paintings in the field later served as the basis for larger finished works.

Hill’s move to California in 1861 brought him new material for his paintings. He chose monumental vistas, like Yosemite. During his lifetime, Hill’s paintings were popular in California, costing as much as $10,000. Hill's best works are considered to be these monumental subjects, including Great Canon of the Sierra, Yosemite, Vernal Falls and Yosemite Valley.