William Ashford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William Ashford
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William Ashford by William Cuming
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| Born | 1746 Birmingham, England
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| Died | 17 April 1824 (aged 77–78) |
| Known for | landscape painting |
William Ashford (1746–1824) was a talented English painter. He moved to Ireland when he was 18 and lived there for the rest of his life. He first worked for the Ordnance Office, which managed military supplies.
Ashford started by painting flowers and still life scenes. But from 1772, he became famous for his beautiful landscape paintings. He was a very important artist in Ireland. In 1813, he became the president of the Irish Society of Artists. Later, he was chosen as the first president of the Royal Hibernian Academy. Some of his well-known works include paintings of the area around Mount Merrion, which he created for the 4th Earl FitzWilliam.
Early Life and Family
William Ashford was born in Birmingham, England, in 1746. He was baptized on May 20, 1746. We don't know much about his early schooling. However, it's thought he learned some technical or art skills in England.
In 1764, when he was 18, Ashford moved to Dublin, Ireland. He got a job with the Ordnance Office. This job involved checking weapons and supplies at forts and army bases across Ireland.
Around 1775, Ashford got married, but his wife's name is not known. They had two sons and one daughter. His son Daniel also became an artist, but he wasn't as famous as his father. From 1792 until he passed away, Ashford lived in a house in Sandymount, County Dublin. This house was specially designed for him by a famous architect named James Gandon.
Ashford's Art Career
Just three years after arriving in Dublin, Ashford started showing his paintings. He first painted flowers and everyday objects, known as still lifes. In 1772, he showed a landscape painting at the Dublin Royal Society of Arts. After another famous painter, Thomas Roberts, died, Ashford became the top landscape painter in Ireland.
He was chosen as the president of the Irish Society of Artists in 1813. He also helped start the Royal Hibernian Academy. In 1823, he became its first elected president.
Ashford was one of the most respected landscape painters in Ireland during his time. People thought he was as good as Thomas Roberts and George Barret. Many art groups showed his work, like the Society of Artists in Ireland. He painted a lot between 1777 and 1813, and many of his paintings were sold.
He also showed his art in England. He exhibited at The Royal Academy in London starting in 1775. He also showed works with the Society of Artists from 1777. He became a member of the Society the next year. He sometimes showed paintings of North Wales there. From 1806, he showed his art at the new British Institution. Some of these paintings were older, including scenes from Shakespeare plays. Ashford lived in different places in Dublin and London, traveling to show his art as he became more famous.
Around the early 1800s, he painted a series of landscapes for Lord Fitzwilliam. These paintings showed scenes in and around Mount Merrion. Around this time, he also finished Marino Casino, which is one of his best works. The paintings for Lord Fitzwilliam were the last big job he received. He still painted and had an exhibition in 1819. In the last ten years of his life, he painted less. His last known painting is from 1821.
Ashford's art was greatly influenced by painters like Claude Lorraine and Richard Wilson. You can see this in his use of warm, rich colors. Other artists, like James Arthur O'Connor, were influenced by Ashford's style of Irish landscape painting. Besides landscapes, Ashford was also known for his flower paintings, which he painted in an older Dutch style when he was younger.
Later Years and Legacy
William Ashford passed away on April 17, 1824, at his home.
Some of his paintings are kept in important art museums around the world:
- The National Gallery of Ireland
- The Yale Center for British Art in New Haven, Connecticut, US. This museum has his painting 'Mount Kennedy, County Wicklow, Ireland', from 1785.
- The Denver Art Museum in Denver, Colorado, US. They have 'View of Powerscourt Demesne', painted in 1789.
- The Fitzwilliam Museum at the University of Cambridge, England.
In 2008, three of Ashford's paintings were given to the Irish Heritage Trust. They were donated by the McCarthy family, a business family from Cork.
Ashford's House
William Ashford is thought to have asked his friend, the architect James Gandon, to build him a home. This house was called Laburnum Lodge. It was located near the sea in Dublin, close to Lord Merrion's brickfields. Ashford had done a lot of painting work for Lord Merrion and his family.
The house was built between 1788 and 1789. It was a villa-style house with five sections and an attic above the front door. The house had two main floors and a basement.
