Martin Ferdinand Quadal, Animal Painter
(b. 1736, d. 1793)
Animal Painter
From A Dictionary of Irish Artists 1913
A native of Moravia, born in 1736. He travelled in various countries in Europe, and in 1779 was in Dublin, where he practised for some time with considerable success, chiefly as an animal painter. The Dublin Society purchased several of his pictures for the use of its students: "Studies of Dogs," "Studies of Boars, Bears, Deer and Wolves," "Bears' Heads, life-size," "Leopards' Heads," "Deers' Heads," "Heads of Wolves," and "Owls, Squirrels and Guinea Pigs." These are now in the National Museum, Kildare Street, and a "Wolf Caught in a Trap" is in the Society's House. While in Dublin he painted a portrait of "Richard, 4th Viscount Powerscourt," which is now at Powerscourt. A "Study of Heads of Wolves" was in the Sirr sale in 1841; a "Cat and Goldfish" in J. C Lyons's sale in 1870, and a "Fox and Hen" in Sir Charles Coote's sale in 1839. Quadal, after he left Ireland, was in London for some time, and exhibited at the Society of Artists in 1791 four works: "A Moldavian Telling Fortunes by Cards," "A Neapolitan Fish-woman," a "Portrait of an Artist" and "Liberty in Danger." A portrait of "Thomas Beckwith of York, artist," was engraved in mezzotint by William Humphry in 1777. Leaving England Quadal went to Russia where he became master of the Academy in St. Petersburgh. He died in 1793.