William Sherlock
William Sherlock (fl. 1759–1806) was an Irish portrait painter and engraver.
William Sherlock
William Sherlock, (1738 -?) · Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco ImageBase [1] · Public domain
- Name
- William Sherlock
- Birthplace
- Dublin
- Occupation
- Portrait painter and engraver William Sherlock (fl. 1759–1806) was an Irish portrait painter and engraver.
- Born
- 1738 · Dublin.
- Died
- 1806
- Nationality
- Kingdom of Great Britain · United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
- Fields
- portrait
- Languages
- English
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Documentary summary
William Sherlock (fl. 1759–1806) was an Irish portrait painter and engraver.
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Note VALÉORINE
William Sherlock (1738–1806) was an engraver and painter, of British and British nationality. The engraver was born in Dublin.
The work spans portrait. Languages used include English. Works are held at National Library of Wales.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 26 September 2026
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wikidata · Q18535046
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — William Sherlock • Birthplace — Dublin • Occupation — Portrait painter and engraver William Sherlock (fl. 1759–1806) was an Irish portrait painter and engraver.
Biography
Biography
Sherlock is said to have been the son of a prize-fighter, and to have been born at Dublin. In 1759 he was a student in the St. Martin's Lane academy in London, and in that year obtained a premium from the Society of Arts. He at first studied engraving, and was a pupil of J. P. Le Bas at Paris. There he engraved a large plate of ‘The Grange,’ after Jean-Baptiste Pillement, published in 1761; he also engraved the portrait heads for Tobias Smollett's ‘History of England.’ Subsequently, Sherlock took to painting portraits on a small scale, both in oil and watercolours, and miniatures. He was a fellow of the Incorporated Society of Artists, and their director in 1774, exhibiting with them from 1764 to 1777. From 1802 to 1806 he exhibited small portraits at the Royal Academy. He also practised as a picture-cleaner, and was a skilled copyist.
Identity
Identity
William Sherlock is recorded as a citizen of United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Recorded with the occupation engraver. Classed in the genre portrait.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1738
William Sherlock was born in 1738.
1806
William Sherlock died on 1 January 1806.
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
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General reference
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Prints
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