This charming late 19th-century oil painting by English artist Walter Dendy Sadler RBA (1854-1923) depicts an introduction between a demure young Regency lady and her potential suitor. Sadler was an ingenious, highly appreciated painter of witty genre scenes and a member of the Royal Society of British Artists.
On the left, a proud father, upstanding in his tailcoat, waistcoat and cravat, gently holds the gloved hand of his apprehensive daughter. She leans, perhaps a little faint, face rouged by the heat of the roaring fire. Her elegant gown is pinched in at the waist and exceedingly well tailored. On the right, an anxious young gentleman stares towards the window. Bolt upright, heart pounding, in a state of silent trepidation. His brother, a little cocksure, swaggers alongside, while a third character loiters behind.
It’s decidedly uncomfortable, with each actor in this Dickensian-esque ensemble laced with their own backstory. Sadler invites us to consider the details - the father’s clenched fist, the two rams on the fireplace, the poker, the globe, the jewellry on the chair, the animal skin rug, the convex mirror - what do you make of it all? It’s fantastically open for interpretation, the artist at his finest.
Born in Dorking, Surrey, Sadler’s father was a solicitor and evidently expected his progeny to follow suit. However, from an early age, it became clear that the young man was destined for altogether different pursuits. His initial education was undertaken at Horsham School where, much to the fury of his teachers, he crammed the pages of textbooks with impromptu sketches. In his autobiography, he recalls how the schoolmaster requested his books for examination, only to find them brimming with caricatures of himself, the other students and ships. Indeed, his interest in seafaring led to his first commission at the age of 12, for which he prepared a series of watercolours of yachts for the saloon of a large schooner.
Following his schooling, the artistic young man toiled for a few months in an office, perhaps at his father’s behest. But, once again, his hours were spent doodling on his blotting pad, producing amusing portraits of his colleagues. At this point, he was determined to pursue a career in the arts and sought training in London.
He trained at Heatherly's Art School in Newman Street until 1871 before travelling to Düsseldorf to study under James Moulton Burfield (1845-1888) and Wilhelm Simmler (1840-1923). Burfield was particularly influential and described as a genre painter of the ‘neo-Rococo’ style. Given Sadler’s ample skill as a draughtsman, it’s little surprise that, by the age of 19, he’d debuted at both the Dudley Gallery and the Royal Academy.
While still a student, he commenced a series of playful works depicting the various aspects of monastic life, which garnered attention from both critics and patrons. These were far from ascerbic and presented their observations in a lighthearted manner, which even the monks themselves found amusing. Indeed, the Sub-Prior of the Capucine Monastery at Crawley reassured him as such: “I know your pictures well,” he said, “and, whilst showing up the amusing side of the monk's life, you never hold them up to ridicule.”
This gentle and rather wholesome fashion of describing a narrative became a trademark of his approach, with a critic at The Art Journal stating that he “can lay his hand upon his heart and boast that his pencil has defamed no woman nor maligned a man”. In this respect, his choice of historical subjects, often from the Georgian period, aided their sense of abstraction. Victorians saw his critiques as relatable yet not insulting - although there was more than a little ‘tongue in cheek’ at times.
Following a period in London, he moved to Hemingford Grey in St Ives, Huntingdonshire, where he created quite a fuss with the locals. Many of them would model for him, all too eager to play dress up and pose themselves intriguingly. His perfectionism led to him assembling one of the finest collections of period outfits in England, and he would travel miles for the right piece. He was tireless in his pursuit of accurately capturing the minutiae of a figure and interior.
At Hemingford, he owned a charming old country house, which nestled on the picturesque banks of the River Ouse and looked out across acres of meadows. It provided ample inspiration, and he was often spotted musing by the waterway, deep in contemplation, or working in the garden on a large canvas.
Sadler’s career blossomed to the point whereby thousands of prints were sold and, for a time, he was considered as the leading artist in his field. His works were accessible, finely detailed, and “painted as he lived”.
He’s represented in numerous public collections, including The British Museum, V&A, Tate Britain, Walker Art Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery.
Signed in the lower left and held in a gilt frame, which is probably original.
Learn more about Walter Dendy Sadler in our directory.
Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 54” x 40” / 137cm x 102cm
Year of creation: c. 1890
Labels & Inscriptions: Gallery label on the reverse.
Provenance: With Kurt E. Schon Fine Art, New Orleans, USA / 19th Century and British Impressionist Art, Bonhams, London, 30 March 2022, lot 16 (appraised at £7,000 - £10,000) / Private collection, UK.
Condition: Cleaned. Revarnished. Areas of fine and settled craquelure, as you would expect. The paint layer is stable. A few minor historic repairs. Frame in good condition with a little age-related wear.
Artist’s auction maximum: £120,400 for ‘London to York - Time's Up Gentlemen’, Oil on canvas, Sotheby's, Important 19th Century European Paintings And Sculpture, New York, 31 October 2000 (lot 155).
Our reference: BRV2132
