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Lot Essay
William Sadler, who was born in Dublin, practised in his native city and exhibited his work at the Royal Hibernian Academy between 1809 and 1833. He is best known for his views of Dublin and its vicitnity of which the present picture is a characteristic example.
Phoenix Park, from which this view is taken, had originally been the site of the the Royal Deer park. In 1751-2 the Rt. Hon. Nathaniel Clements M.P., a banker, politician, amateur architect and developer of 18th Century Dublin and Ranger of Phoenix Park had built a house within the park, in its own demesne. This house was later sold by Clements' son, Robert, later 1st Earl of Leitrim, to the Government as a residence for the Viceroy and it thus became known as Viceregal Lodge. The house was much altered and enlarged by successive Viceroys and in the 19th Century they tended to live there for most of the year only moving into Dublin Castle for the few weeks of the 'Viceregal Season' in the winter. With the establishment of the Irish Free state the house became the seat of the Governor-General and since 1937 it has been the residence of the President of Ireland.
Phoenix Park offered an excellent vantage point from which to have a panoramic view of 18th Century Dublin and many other artists painted views of the city from this direction. Among the artists that painted views of Dublin from this direction were William Ashford (1746-1824), whose View of Dublin from Chapelizod, of circa 1795-8, is in the National Gallery of Ireland (no. 4138) and Joseph Tudor (fl. 1739-1759) whose View of the City of Dublin from Chapelizod was sold in these rooms on 17 May 2002, as lot 24 (Private collection). The focal point of the present picture is the river Liffey with the bridge at Chapelizod, while the Wellington Testimonial dominates the left hand-side of the composition.
Phoenix Park, from which this view is taken, had originally been the site of the the Royal Deer park. In 1751-2 the Rt. Hon. Nathaniel Clements M.P., a banker, politician, amateur architect and developer of 18th Century Dublin and Ranger of Phoenix Park had built a house within the park, in its own demesne. This house was later sold by Clements' son, Robert, later 1st Earl of Leitrim, to the Government as a residence for the Viceroy and it thus became known as Viceregal Lodge. The house was much altered and enlarged by successive Viceroys and in the 19th Century they tended to live there for most of the year only moving into Dublin Castle for the few weeks of the 'Viceregal Season' in the winter. With the establishment of the Irish Free state the house became the seat of the Governor-General and since 1937 it has been the residence of the President of Ireland.
Phoenix Park offered an excellent vantage point from which to have a panoramic view of 18th Century Dublin and many other artists painted views of the city from this direction. Among the artists that painted views of Dublin from this direction were William Ashford (1746-1824), whose View of Dublin from Chapelizod, of circa 1795-8, is in the National Gallery of Ireland (no. 4138) and Joseph Tudor (fl. 1739-1759) whose View of the City of Dublin from Chapelizod was sold in these rooms on 17 May 2002, as lot 24 (Private collection). The focal point of the present picture is the river Liffey with the bridge at Chapelizod, while the Wellington Testimonial dominates the left hand-side of the composition.