Background
William Shayer was born in June, 1787 in Southampton, United Kingdom.
William Shayer was born in June, 1787 in Southampton, United Kingdom.
William Shayer was a self-taught artist.
Early in his career, Shayer began to earn his living by painting decorations on rush-bottom chairs, and moved on to painting carriages in the town of Guildford, after which he started doing heraldic painting. Ultimately he began painting oil on canvas and became skilled at portraying woodland scenes with gypsies, people and animals in front of country inns and farm houses, and beach scenes crowded with boats and fishermen.
He lived mainly in the south of England, in Shirley, Southampton, but painted throughout Hampshire and in a wooded district in the southwest part of Hampshire called the New Forest. Michael Hoy, a wealthy Southampton merchant, was one of his most enthusiastic patrons and bought many of Shayer's paintings of the area.
In 1814, Shayer was commissioned to chalk a design on the floor for a ball held by the officers of the Queen’s Royal Regiment to celebrate the overthrow of Napoleon Bonaparte and the restoration of the Bourbons.
He sometimes collaborated with other artists. Particularly successful were his collaborations with Edward Charles Williams, where Williams would paint the landscape and Shayer would add in people and animals. He also collaborated with other members of Williams' family. "The Old Roadside Inn" and "Near Wantage, Berkshire" were the examples of a collaboration between Shayer and Williams.
William Shayer died on December 21, 1879 at his home at Bladon Lodge near Southampton, United Kingdom.
The Plough Inn
Resting Along The Trail
Donkey and Sheep
Cows, White Cow Standing
The Cowherd
Harvest Time
Fishermen
Landscape with a Ruined Castle
At the Bell Inn, Cadnam, New Forest
Donkeys in Landscape
The End Of The Day
Carthorses and Rustics by a Stream
Landscape with Cattle
The Watering Place
Looking Out To Sea
Landscape with Figures on a Path
Mouth of the Old Canal
The Road To Market
On The Hampshire Coast
Pony and Dogs
Bargaining for the Catch
Near The New Forest
Fisherfolk Sorting The Catch
Fisherwomen
The Smith Brothers of Chichester
View On The Isle Of Wight
Carting Timber In The New Forest
Ben Nevis and Mountain Stream
Herders Resting at Lunch
A Rest by the Roadside
Harvesting
Harvesters Resting
Afternoon Rest
The Midday Rest
Fisherfolk and Their Catch by the Sea
The Start Of The Day
On The South Coast
The Traveller's Rest
Village Politicians
Fishermen
The Road Side Inn, Somerset
Travelers Resting
The Ploughman's Rest
A Halt at the Inn
Scene Near Zeldkirch In The Tyrol
A Busy Beach Scene
In The New Forest
Country Life
Unloading The Catch
The Half Way House, Thatcham
The Gleaners Shirley, Hants
The Young Anglers
Cattle By A Stream
HMS Alexander’ Commanded by Captain Rodney Bligh, Shortly before Striking Her Colours to the French Squadron, 6 November 1794
Scene in the Isle of Wight
Unloading The Catch, Near Benchurch, Isle
Shayer lived a long life, during which he had two wives and ten children.
His first wife's name was Sarah, they had 5 children.
His eldest son, William Joseph Shayer, junior (1811-1892) was also a painter, and painted in a style very similar to his father. Their paintings are easily confused, which is made all the more difficult by the fact that they probably collaborated on several paintings in the elder Shayer's later years.
After the death of his first wife, Shayer married a woman named Elizabeth, with whom he produced five more children. Three of Shayer senior's younger sons - Edward Dasherwood Shayer (1821-1864), Henry Thring Shayer (1825-1894) and Charles Walker Shayer (1826-1914) - became painters at well, and all assisted him at times in his studio.