Stephen Wiltshire Was Mute When He Was Diagnosed with Severe Autism at the Age of Three: He is One of the Most Renowned Artists in the UK

Stephen Wiltshire was mute when he was diagnosed with severe autism at the age of three. He began communicating through his drawings after being sent to Queensmill School in London, and with the support of his special-needs teachers, gradually learned to speak.

It was during those school years that they discovered Stephen's special talent, when he drew the ornate Albert Hall following a class field trip -- without the aid of a photograph. Wiltshire has the uncanny ability to draw and paint detailed landscapes and cityscapes entirely from memory.

Wiltshire can look at the subject of his drawing once and reproduce it accurately with photographic detail, down to the exact number of columns or windows on a building. He memorizes their shapes, locations and the architectural flourishes, and will do so with New York City after a brief helicopter ride.

Having tackled the iconic cities of Tokyo, Rome, Hong Kong, Frankfurt, Madrid, Dubai, Jerusalem and London, Wiltshire is more than ready to take on The Big Apple and has already begun drawing the cityscape in pen.

To learn more about Stephen Wiltshire, click here: How Autistic Artist Stephen Wiltshire Made it Big