WILLIAM SADLER II | View of the Deputy Master's House at Kilmainham Hospital

Christie's, London, 19 May 2000, lot 108

Panel appears to be sound. There is a faint craquelure pattern which appears in the sky, which is stable. There is a hairline crack, 16cm long, extending from the upper left edge of the building, this appears stable and only visible upon close inspection. Overall, the work appears in good condition. UV light reveals an opaque varnish. There are areas of retouching along the centre of the upper edge, plus a few further small spots in the sky. Also a horizontal line of retouching, 10cm long, extending from the ledge edge above the building. Held in a gilt moulded frame, ready to hang.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Three generations of the Irish Sadler family were painters, including William Sadler II, who should not be confused with his father of the same name (an historical and portrait painter) or his comparatively less accomplished son, who also painted in his father’s style, from Dublin. As with this example, William Sadler II often painted small works on mahogany panels; often local scenes in and around Dublin, several of which are in the National Gallery of Ireland collection.¹ They include revealingly painted detailed small figures, adding scale to his narrative, and insights into clothing and material culture. As such his work is of value to the social historian, although he was also known to copy old masters. Larger more dramatic works, some on canvas, include The Departure of George IV from Kingstown, The Battle of Waterloo and the equally elaborate The Battle of the Boyne with Boyne House in the Distance (all in private collections).² His work was usually unsigned, but close observation shows his dry painting technique, often incorporating small raised dots of impasto, highlighting features such as foliage. The artist shows a view looking north, centred on where the deputy master of Kilmainham Royal Hospital lived. With its extraordinarily tall chimneys and front door beneath a lamp, the eye is then drawn to the massively tall obelisk; the ‘Wellington Testimonial’, only visible after 1820. This survives in Phoenix Park, across the river Liffey. Sadler incorporates more detail on the domestic house, than on the East window of the hospital chapel, which balances his composition to the left. Part of the hospital’s north range, this chapel window’s ‘round head springs from eaves level and is crowned by a startling curvilinear archivolt-like hood-moulding, boldly breaking the order and rhythm of the East front.’³ The Gothic sandstone tracery contains stained glass, within a complexity of quatrefoils and daggers. Detail and narrative is further added by Sadler’s well-dressed walkers, and soldiers, one on a dramatically rearing horse, who guard the premises.  

Dr Claudia Kinmonth MRIA

¹ Homan Potterton, introduced, National Gallery of Ireland Illustrated Summary Catalogue of Paintings (Gill and MacMillan, 1981), pp. 291-92.

² Brendan Rooney in A. Carpenter, N. Figgis, M. Arnold, N. Butler & E. Mayes eds., Art & Architecture of Ireland, vol.II, Painting 1600-1900 (Royal Irish Academy, 2015), figs. 452-3, pp.443-45.

³ Christine Casey, The Buildings of Ireland Dublin (Yale University Press, 2005), pp. 676-77.