WILLIAM ASHFORD 1746-1824
© Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge
William Ashford was born in Birmingham; nothing is known of his life until, as a young man of eighteen, he moved to Ireland. Through the patronage of the Surveyor General, Ralph Ward, he obtained a post as Clerk to the Controller of the Laboratory section of the Ordnance Office at Dublin Castle. This involved travelling around Ireland auditing the armaments and munitions in forts and barracks. He may have become interested in landscape painting from those travels around the countryside.
His first landscapes were exhibited in 1772 and his talent was quickly recognised. He is not mentioned in the Dublin Society Schools records except for a second place prize he won in 1772 for a landscape painting - the first prize was won by Thomas Roberts. Roberts died in 1778 and from then on Ashford was the most acclaimed landscape artist in Ireland. He was a founding member and first President of The Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA).
Ashford received many commissions from the landed gentry in Ireland to paint their estates - he worked for Lord Rossmore, the Duke of Leinster and the Earl of Charleville among others.
Ashford resided in Ireland - his house in Sandymount was designed by his friend the celebrated architect James Gandon - but he maintained his links with England and exhibited at the Royal Academy and the Society of Artists. In later years he painted many seascapes, perhaps inspired by living beside Dublin Bay.
Ashford died in 1824 and is buried in Donnybrook cemetery.
The stables © Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge
The lodge seen from the east avenue © Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge
The lodge seen from the island © Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge
The lawn seen from the fir grove © Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge
The wood house on the north terrace © Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge
view from the rear of the fir grove © Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge
<the view near the spring in the warren © Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge
view near the great willow © Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge
view from the gate in Owenstown avenue © Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge
The view of the bay from the upper end of the north avenue © Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge
The view of the north terrace from the upper end of the north avenue © Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge
The view near the north terrace of the bay and the hill of Howth © Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge
The view near the gothic building of the bay and the hill of Howth © Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge
The view near Mountanvillegate © Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge
The gothic building at the end of the north terrace © Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge
The farm © Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge
The view from the south side of the fir grove © Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge
The view from the rear of the kitchen garden © Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge
The view from the rear of the ash grove © Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge
The view near the farm © Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge