Country House Collections at Slane Castle 13
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October 2013
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WILLIAM SADLER II (1782-1839)
Dublin Bay
Oil on board, 26.5 x 40cm
€4000 -7000
Known particularly for his competent, atmospheric and topographically interesting views of the country-
side around Dublin, Sadler remains an enigma in the history of 19th century Irish art. This is partially
because his father, William (fl.1768-1788) and his own son, also William (b.1808) painted somewhat similar
scenes in a vaguely similar style and can be confused. William Sadler II, however, stands out as being a bet-
ter painter than either his father or his son. He is also credited as having taught painting and counted James
Arthur O’Connor as one of his pupils.
He is recorded as exhibiting, between 1808 and 1821, many paintings on his trademark mahogany panels.
The Royal Hibernian Academy records four paintings by Sadler exhibited at the 1828, 1833 and 1836 annual
exhibitions, giving his address as Buckingham Street and later at Merrion Avenue. In his 1913 Dictionary
of Irish Artists, Walter Strickland notes however that he finally settled in Manders’ Building in Ranelagh
where he died in December 1839.
Sadler was greatly influenced by and did many copies of the Old Masters, particularly Dutch painters and
this influence is seen in his landscape compositions with small figural groups. He also incorporated their
technique of painting bright highlights to accentuate the almost three dimensional effect of his figures.
