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Every sale throws up a lot that lodges itself in the mind, and for me this auction it is the pair of small cabinet pictures by William van der Hagen, both signed and dated 1738. They are modest in scale but, I would argue, anything but modest in ambition, and they have quietly become the lot I find myself returning to whenever I walk through the saleroom.
Van der Hagen is a name that ought to be far better known outside specialist Irish circles. He is rightly regarded as the founder of the landscape school that flourished in Georgian Ireland, and the late Anne Crookshank and Desmond FitzGerald, Knight of Glin whose judgement on these matters I have never known to be wrong went so far as to suggest that Joseph Leeson, building Russborough in the 1740s, could have bought a capriccio in Dublin by Van der Hagen to rival anything he carried home from his Grand Tour. That is a striking claim, and one which the recent acquisition by the State of Van der Hagen’s painted wall hangings for Dublin Castle has done much to vindicate.
What makes this particular pair so appealing is the contrast between them. One is a luminous Mediterranean harbour, glassy water, limpid sky, sailors and fishermen going about the day’s business in that easy, sun-warmed manner the Dutch-Italianate painters perfected Jan Weenix is the obvious touchstone. The other is its opposite in every register: a perilous storm, ships labouring in heavy weather off a rocky coast, the whole composition pitched towards the sublime. The pairing of calm and tempest has a long pedigree, running from the Van de Veldes through to Vernet, and Van der Hagen handles the convention with real authority. There may even be a symbolic dimension at play, given his earlier Landing of King William at Carrickfergus the old metaphor of the ship of state, here in fair weather and foul.
A romantic note, perhaps apocryphal: a nineteenth-century source suggests that the only reason Van der Hagen ended up in Ireland at all was because, Turner-like, he had set out to witness a storm at sea for the sake of his art and was marooned here by stress of weather. Whether or not one believes it, the storm scene takes on an extra charge with that story in mind.
Two further details give me particular pleasure. The first is that Van der Hagen has signed each picture twice a small vanity, but a telling one. After the broad handling demanded by the Dublin Castle hangings (where he likely had studio assistance from Joseph Tudor), one senses he was genuinely pleased with the refinement and delicacy he achieved on this small scale, and wanted to put his name to it without ambiguity.
The second is the company the storm scene keeps. A very closely related version was engraved in mezzotint by James Watson when it hung in the collection of the portraitist Francis Cotes, and only the year before, Thomas Frye painted a remarkably comparable tempest on the reverse of his Hilary Torriano portrait, now at the V&A. These pictures sit at the heart of a moment in mid-century painting that we are still, slowly, learning to appreciate properly.
There is also the pleasure of provenance and parallel: a pair sounding much like ours A Brisk Gale and A Shipwreck appeared in the 1869 sale of the Irish artist Henry Brocas, and one wonders.
I should declare my hand. I have a weakness for pictures that punch above their physical weight, and for artists who have been quietly underrated for too long. This pair is both. They are intimate enough to live with at close quarters and serious enough to repay any amount of looking. If the market has lately shown signs of catching up with eighteenth-century Irish painting and I think it has, these two small panels feel, to me, like exactly the sort of thing that will look obvious in twenty years’ time.
Come and see them in the view. I suspect I won’t be the only one lingering.
Adam’s is honoured to present works from the collection of Lord Rossmore in the upcoming Country House Collections auction at Howth Castle on 28th April. It is seldom that an influential Irish family collection that has survived through the generations comes to the open market.
Works Sold at Adam’s Now in the Irish National Collection
A great opportunity to purchase both established and lesser-known artist’s work at an accessible price point, the Online Picture Auction is the first of many sales to be hosted at Adam’s in 2026. It is perfect for those looking to start a collection and the discerning collector alike.
Through this article, let our expert Adam Pearson guiding you to the (re)discovery of the once established Irish painter Richard O’Neill.
Buying at Auction and the Role of Antiques in a Modern Home
Important Irish Art Auction Highlights
Oliver Dowling Collection by Aidan Dunne
2024 is a year in which Adam’s wants to recognise the key role buying antique furniture and furnishings at auction contributes greatly to the sustainable initiative. In 2019 the Environmental Protection Agency reported stark figures that each year in Ireland 1.2 million reusable bulky items, primarily furniture goes into landfill. Similar to the problem of ‘fast fashion’, the constant production and consumption of new items is leading to rapidly growing waste problem. We want to acknowledge those who are already buying second hand or antique furniture at auction and to encourage new buyers by highlighting the benefits of acquiring affordable, well-made quality items that are built to last.
Irish author, recipe creator and lifestyle influencer, Indy Parsons, selects her favourite pieces from our upcoming Fine Jewellery & Watches auction
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Cork-born Irish actress, Sarah Greene, selects her favourite pieces from our upcoming Fine Jewellery & Watches auction
Yvonne Aupicq had met Orpen, we understand, while working as a nurse during the war. He had been admitted to hospital with a suspected case of scabies which ended up being a far more serious case of blood poisoning as he recounts in his wartime memoir ‘An Onlooker in France’. Their relationship continued after 1918 when Orpen was appointed as the official artist to The Paris Peace Conference. They relocated to capital and over the following decade he painted her numerous times, often nude as in Amiens 1914, or The Rape and Nude Girl Reading (1921). Working with her as his model during these early years after the war allowed Orpen an opportunity to re-fuel his creativity.
Editor-in-Chief of IMAGE Publications, Lizzie Gore-Grimes, selects her favourite pieces from our upcoming Fine Jewellery & Watches auction
Our upcoming Fine Jewellery & Watches auction on September 13th features a prime example of Van Cleef & Arpel's renowned 'Mystery Setting'
Our June auction offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire one of the great masterpieces of Irish art and icons of Dublin’s history.
Georgia Chiesa selects some of her favourite lots in the upcoming Vintage Wine & Spirits Auction
"Beating the bounds is a tradition that can be traced back to the medieval period. At this time, land was divided into parishes and the clergy and church wardens held the responsibility for its upkeep and management. It was up to the Church to ensure that its parishioners knew the local boundary lines and, before maps became commonplace, this had to be kept as a mental record."
Adam’s in conjunction with Suzanne MacDougald are proud to host an online timed auction of artworks to aid the Irish Red Cross’s humanitarian work in delivering vital services to millions of people impacted by the conflict in Ukraine. With no buyers premium 100% of the hammer price will go directly to the Irish Red Cross.
Ros Drinkwater writes of Jack B Yeats' 'The Boat' in the Business Post:
With a consolidated result of €320,000,the At Home sale in Stephan’s Green, was a great success.
James Adam & Sons Ltd, Fine Art Auctioneers and Valuers, 26 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2,
D02 X665, Ireland
