View of Powerscourt Demesne
- William Ashford, English, 1746-1824
William Ashford, View of Powerscourt Demesne, About 1789. Oil paint on canvas; 42 1/4 × 57 3/8 in. (107.3 × 145.7 cm). Gift of the Berger Collection Educational Trust, 2019.9
Although born in England, Ashford became Ireland’s most successful landscape painter. Among his patrons was Richard Wingfield, 4th Viscount Powerscourt, who probably commissioned this painting. It depicts a scene on the grounds of the Powerscourt estate, which sits at the edge of the Dargle Valley beneath the Wicklow Hills near Dublin. On the horizon is the distinctive silhouette of Sugar Loaf Mountain, with a few small outbuildings in the distance. A hunter, his diminutive figure just visible to the right beyond the great tree that dominates the picture, approaches a group of deer, surveying the view. Characteristically, Ashford focused great attention on the details of nature, closely observing and meticulously painting the foreground rocks and the bark and leaves of the trees.
- “Treasures from the Berger Collection: British Paintings 1400-2000” — Denver Art Museum, 10/2/2014 – 9/9/2018
Some images in our online collection are at thumbnail size, in accordance with AAMD guidelines, because they are protected by copyright. The Denver Art Museum respects the rights of artists or their representatives who retain the copyright to their work. Other images represent the best photography available and should be used as reference images only. Please complete the Image Rights Request form if you want to request a high resolution image.