deVeres Art Blog - Art World Musings

RED WALL - WILLIAM SADLER

William Sadler, c.1782-1839
THE EMBARKATION OF GEORGE IV AT KINGSTOWN, 3rd SEPTEMBER 1821
Oil on canvas, 35” x 54 ¼” (89.2 x 138cm)

This work was acquired from The Gorry Gallery, at their recent Exhibition of 18th and 19th Century Paintings and is truly a painting of national importance. Depicting as it does the momentous departure of King George IV from Dunlaoghaire Harbour. It became known as Kingstown for the 100 years following this event.

George IV led an extravagant lifestyle both as King and Prince Regent. He reportedly arrived in Ireland  roaring drunk and it was believed he visited primarily to spend time with his mistress, Lady Conyngham, at Slane Castle.

‘The momentous nature of the visit, combined with the competition from his artistic peers, led Sadler to produce this quite extraordinary work of immense ambition and scope. Some thousand figures are included’. (Gorry Gallery Exhibition catalogue)

One of Ireland’s major period artists William Sadler grew up in Dublin, the son of portrait painter and engraver William Sadler Snr. Sadler was also a teacher of painting and one of his prominent students was James Arthur O’Connor (1792-1841). ‘Donnybrook Fair’ is perhaps his best known painting, but his equally impressive ‘Battle of Waterloo’ is perhaps, given its size, the most comparable work to this.