Irish Arts Review

Thomas Roberts Et in Arcadia EgoAuthor(s): Julian WaltonSource: Irish Arts Review (2002-), Vol. 26, No. 1 (Spring, 2009), pp. 90-93Published by: Irish Arts ReviewStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20493483 .

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I THOMAS ROBERTS: ET IN ARCADIA EGO

EXHIBITION

Thomas

Roberts et in Arcadia ego

JULIAN WALTON discusses the

brilliant but tragically short career of

18th-century landscape artist

Thomas Roberts,

the subject of an exhibition at the

National Gallery of Ireland

In February 1978 the National Gallery of Ireland marked

the bicentenary of the death of Thomas Roberts by

mounting a small exhibition of 18th-century Irish topo

graphical and landscape paintings, focusing on the work

of Thomas Roberts and his brother Sautelle.' The forthcoming

exhibition on Thomas Roberts at the National Gallery of Ireland

is most opportune, and will bring to the attention of a wider pub

lic the achievement of this remarkable Irish artist.

One purpose of the earlier exhibition was to draw attention to

the high standard of Irish painting in the period, and in particular

to give due recognition to Thomas Roberts' contribution. Another

was to help connoisseurs distinguish between the work of Thomas

Roberts and that of his younger and more prolific brother.

Thomas Roberts (Fig 1) was born in Waterford in 1748, the

third son and fourth child of John Roberts, architect, and his

Huguenot wife Mary Susannah Sautelle. He was baptised in the

cathedral on 22 May. During his early years, the family lived in

humble circumstances in a rented room in Patrick Street, but

soon they were able to move into more august premises in

Cathedral Square, for upon the completion of the new Episcopal

palace on the Mall - John Roberts' first major architectural proj

ect - the grateful bishop granted Roberts a lease on favourable

terms of his old residence. Over the next half-century, John

J,~ ~ X T W

63, ~FM

1 Thomas Roberts,

landscape painter

(1748-1777)

Courtesy of the late

Lt Col. Robert Going

2 THOMAS ROBERTS

(1748-1777) Sea

Storm oil on canvas

57 x 91cm

Photo ? National

Gallery of Ireland

3 THOMAS ROBERTS

(1748-1777) Land

Storm oil on canvas

57 x 91cm Fota

House, Cork, Irish

Heritage Trust

Christie's Images Ltd

2009

4 THOMAS ROBERTS

(1748-1777) A

Landscape oil on

canvas 111.5 x

152.5cm Photo X

National Gallery of

Ireland

9 0 | IRISII ART 'S REVIEW SP'RING 2009

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Roberts transformed the city of his birth by the erection of a

series of fine public and private buildings, notably the Church of

Ireland and Roman Catholic cathedrals.2 Thomas Roberts' skill as an artist must have been apparent from an early period, for in

1763, when he was a mere fifteen, his father enrolled him as a

pupil at the Dublin Society's Schools, where he won a prize. He

was then apprenticed to the landscape painter George Mullins. He began to exhibit annually at the Society of Artists in Ireland

in 1766, initially from 'Mr Mullins' and later from his own

address in Dame Street. From 1775 he exhibited at the Society

of Artists in London, giving as his address 64 Margaret Street.3

Roberts showed considerable talent in that popular 18th century genre, the ideal landscape (Fig 4). In addition to views

of arcadian serenity, he depicted nature in more violent mood in

his Sea Storm and Land Storm (Figs 2 &3). He was also fortunate

SPRING 2009 IRISH ARTS REVIEW | 91

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in securing the patronage of several noblemen who commis sioned him to execute watercolours of their demesnes, often fea turing their mansions as centrepiece. His four superb views of

Carton estate in Co Kildare, seat of the Duke of Leinster, are

perhaps his best known (Fig 6). He also produced fine paintings

of Beau Parc and other views on the river Boyne, Powerscourt in

Co Wicklow, Rathfarnham Castle the seat of Lord Ely, and the

Casino at Marino, executed for Lord Charlemont.

He does not seem to have done any work in his native county,

or indeed anywhere in the south-east. Evidently he did not cut

off all links with the city of his birth, however, for on 5 October

1772 he was admitted as (hereditary) freeman of Waterford.

Figures are often incorporated into Roberts' vistas (Fig 5),

and he showed himself adept at depicting movement - men

quarrying stone at Lucan, a hunt in full cry at Bellisle. Horses

feature too, and in one of his works - Portrait of Bold Sir William

(a Barb), an East Indian black, and French dog - the horse is obvi

ously the centre of attention and the landscape secondary.4

Within comparatively few years Roberts had built up an

impressive reputation and showed great promise for the future. Regrettably, sickness intervened. According to his niece Margaret Price, author of a colourful history of the family: 'com

ing in one day after his room had been washed out, he sat paint

ing in it, from which he took cold that ended in a decline, of

which he died greatly regretted, the following winter at Lisbon

where he went for his health; he was only 28 years old'.5

The word 'decline' is a contemporary euphemism for tuber

culosis, one of the attempted remedies for which (as for much

else) was a spell in the waters at Bath. In July 1776 John Warren

writes to a friend from that city:

'On hearing through my father that Roberts was come to

Bristol I went there [expecting] to find him so emaciated that he

shocked me severely but have great pleasure in acquainting you

that he has already rec'd great benefit. His colour from the most

frightful cadaverous is become as fresh & good as his complex

ion was us'd to admit of, he has a good Appetite and his Cough

Spitting & [illegible word] are considerably abated. He mended

so fast that Dr Woodward omitted blistering him according to

his first intentions; so that with proper care & caution we may

have every hope & am certain this acct will give you great pleas

ure as you know his Merit ....

Sadly, the improvement in Roberts' health was of short dura

tion. Neither the waters of Bath nor the dry climate of Lisbon

prevented the inexorable progress of the dreaded 'decline'. The date of his death in Lisbon has hitherto been given in all pub

lished sources as 1778; recent research, however, has revealed that he was buried in the British Cemetery there on 5 March 1777, which confirms Margaret Price's statement that he died aged twenty-eight.7 'What a loss,' comments Michael Wynne, 'yet what a legacy in work.'8

Roberts evidently left much work unfinished at his death. He did, however, have an obvious successor in his brother Sautelle. Younger than Thomas by twelve years, Sautelle was baptised in Waterford Cathedral on 22 June 1760 and named

l after his Huguenot grandfather. At first expected to follow his

92 |IRISH ARTS REVIEW SPRING 2009

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THOMAS ROBERTS: ET IN ARCADIA EGO U

EXHIBITION

father's career as an architect, he was educated at the Dublin

Society's Schools and then apprenticed to Thomas Ivory,

designer of the Bluecoat School and other buildings in Dublin.

However, he also had a talent for painting, and after his

brother's death Sautelle evidently conceived the idea of step ping into his brother's shoes and no doubt capitalising on his

reputation. He changed his name to Thomas Sautelle Roberts,

went to London, and trained as an artist.

His family's expectation that Sautelle might prefer art to

architecture is suggested in a letter written from Waterford on 8

January 1779 by his eldest brother, the Rev. John Roberts, the

rector of Passage East: 'I applied yesterday to my father for my

poor brother's sketches for you, and received for answer that he

did not think it fair to part with them until he knew whether

landscape painting or architecture will be the pursuit of my

brother, who now attends the academies for both in Dublin. He

imagines that, if painting should be his choice, they will be of

service to him. A short time, however, will determine that, and

my father has promised me that the smallest trifle shall not be

disposed of to anyone without your knowledge'.9 Comparison between the work of the two brothers is

inevitable. Thomas is unquestionably the better painter, but

Comparison between the work of the two brothers is inevitable. Thomas is unquestionably the better painter, but Sautelle's work is far better known to the art world in general

Sautelle's work is far better known to the art world in general.

There are several reasons for this. Most obviously, he was blessed

with better health and a longer life, dying in 1826 at the age of

sixty-six. Secondly, his training as an architect gave him a

greater interest in buildings, which gives him a greater attraction

for local historians; even his trees are said to 'resemble the fret

work of a Gothic cathedral'.'0

Thirdly, as engravings were made from so many of his paint

ings his work achieved a wide circulation. Sautelle's earlier works were in watercolour, and the engravings (with accompa

nying text) formed a series entitled Illustrations of the chief cities, rivers and picturesque scenery of the kingdom of Ireland, published between 1795 and 1799. The twelve illustrations gave gener

ous space to his native area (Fig 7). Scenes on the Suir comprised

Carrick Castle, Granny Castle, views of Waterford City from east

and west, Dunbrody Abbey, and the entrance to Waterford

Harbour. Views on the Blackwater included Lismore Castle

and Dromana, unfortunately, the series was never completed. On the foundation of the Royal Hibernian Academy in 1823,

Sautelle was one of the three artists chosen to select the mem

bers. He contributed to the Academy's first exhibition in 1826. He did not, however, live to exhibit again. A few years previ

ously, whilst journeying from London to Dublin, the coach in

which he was travelling was upset, and he received an injury to

his right shoulder. He was never able to paint again, fell into a

state of depression, and took his own life at his house in

Richmond Street, Portobello." To find two siblings of such artistic talent in one generation

is remarkable; there was even a third, for one of the daughters

of John and Mary Susanna Roberts is known to have designed

and painted sets for the Waterford theatre. Of the three

Roberts sisters who survived infancy, this must have been Flora, the only one to remain a spinster. Dying on 2 February 1835

aged seventy-two, she was the last surviving member of her gen

eration. Unfortunately, she does not seem to have endeared herself to her niece Margaret Price, who dismisses her in the

family narrative with the remarks:

'Flora Roberts never married tho' she was a fine young

woman and had many lovers. She spent her youth in dress and

company and her age in railing at anyone who indulged in it.

She died at an advanced age and never did much for anyone."2

During his brief working life, Thomas Roberts' output was impressive. Between 1766 and 1773 he exhibited some fifty-six

works, and he continued to exhibit until shortly before his death. At least thirty of his works have survived, and contin

ued close scrutiny by experts may well continue to add to that

number. The excellence of his work has long been recognised by discerning scholars: he is described by Anne Crookshank and Desmond FitzGerald as 'the most brilliant and shortest

lived Irish landscape painter of the second half of the eigh

teenth century"3 while for Michael Wynne he is 'one of

Ireland's foremost landscape artists'.'4 U

JULIAN WALTON is a local historian who has published widely on the historic

buildings and families of Waterford.

'Thomas Roberts 1748-1777', Beit Wing, National Gallery of Ireland, 28 March -

28 June 2009.

5 THOMAS ROBERTS

(1748-1777) A Frost

Piece 1769 oil on

canvas 99 x 137cm

Private collection

6 THOMAS ROBERTS

(1748-1777)

The Sheet of Water

at Carton Park,

Co. Kildare 1775-7

oil on canvas

111.7 x 152.4cm

Christie's Images Ltd

2009

7 THOMAS SAUTELLE

ROBERTS (1760

1826) West View of

the City of Waterford

1795 aquatint

31.2 x 46.5cm

Waterford City

Council, image

courtesy Waterford

Museum of

Treasures

SPRING 2009 IRISH ARTrS REVIEW | 93

1 See catalogue, Thomas Roberts, 1748-1778, Irish landscape artist: a bi-centenary exhibition',

NGI, 1978.

2 J.C. Walton, 'Classicism and Civility', Irish Arts

Review, 2004, pp 102-107.

3 Michael Wynne, 'Thomas Roberts, 1748-1778',

Studies, Winter 1977, pp 299-318.

4 Roberts's work is discussed by Michael Wynne in

Thomes Roberts, 1748-1778', Irish Arts Review

Yearbook, 1994, pp 143-152; and by Anne

Crookshank and the Knight of Glin in The

Painters of Ireland, c. 1660-1920 (London,

1978), pp 127 ff.

5 The French settlers in Waterford after the revo

cation of the Edict of Nantes' (1853). Transcript with notes by local historian Matthew Butler in

possession of the writer. Transcript also in

National Archives (MS M.4974). 6 P. McEvansoneya (ed.), 'An Irish artist goes to

Bath: Letters from John Warren to Andrew

Caldwell, 1776-84', Irish Architectural and

Decorative Studies, //(1999), pp 160-161.

7 I am indebted for this information to Mr Brendan

Rooney, NGI, co-author of the forthcoming book

on Thomas Roberts.

8 M. Wynne (1977), p. 304.

9 Phillips MSS in National Library of Ireland, MS

1415, p. 167.

10 Cited in A. Crookshank and Knight of Glin

(1978), p. 139.

11 For T.S. Roberts, see Crookshank and Glin

(1978), pp 137-139, and Margaret Price

(1853). 12 Margaret Price (1853). 13 Crookshank and Glin (1978), p. 127.

14 M. Wynne (1994), p. 143.

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