(British, 1746-1824)

Boy Fishing Off a Bank, bears a signature lower left "W. Ashford", oil on canvas, 28 x 36-1/2 in.; fine gilt wood frame with sand panel, 34-1/2 x 42-1/2 x 2 in. 

Provenance: Christie's New York, Rockefeller Plaza, The House Sale, December, 2007, lot 156, sold for #3,750; Fontaine's Auction Gallery, Pittsfield, Massachusetts (label verso), February, 23, 2008, lot #134; Private Collection; Brunk Auctions, Asheville, North Carolina, Sep 12, 2015, lot 0406, sold for $1,800; Virginia Private Collection

Note: William Ashford, though born in Birmingham, spent nearly his entire career in Ireland, where he became the country's leading landscape painter of the late 18th century. Initially employed by the Ordnance Office in Dublin, he began painting in his spare time, starting with still lifes before transitioning to classical landscapes. His extensive travel across Ireland likely influenced his topographical style, which appealed to both Irish aristocrats and English audiences. Ashford exhibited widely, including at the Royal Academy and the Society of Artists in London, and later served as the first president of both the reformed Irish Society of Artists and the newly founded Royal Hibernian Academy. Known for serene, well-ordered landscapes influenced by Dutch masters, he catered to the tastes of the Anglo-Irish elite. Though largely self-taught, his works were highly praised in his time and are now held in major collections across the UK and Ireland, including the Fitzwilliam Museum and the National Trust.