Updated November 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 53 works by Richard Dadd in our catalogue
In short
The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke (1855) is the Richard Dadd painting that draws the most eyes; the original belongs to the Tate Britain, London. After it, the eye goes to Hamlet and his Mother; The Closet Scene (1846) and Mercy: David Spareth Saul's Life (1854). Among the 53 works of Richard Dadd in our catalog, these 52 are the most famous, each a unique original presented with its year, its museum and the reason it endures.
Richard Dadd was an English artist born in 1817, known for his detailed and imaginative paintings. He began his career as a painter of fairy scenes before the onset of mental illness. After committing a tragic act, he was confined to Bethlem Royal Hospital, where he continued painting under supervision.
The oil on canvas titled Hamlet and his Mother; The Closet Scene was painted by Richard Dadd in 1846. This work captures a moment of intense confrontation from the play by William Shakespeare. The scene focuses on the psychological weight of the closet scene, a private space of familial conflict and heavy shadows.
The scene unfolds in a moment of profound tension, titled Mercy: David Spareth Saul's Life. Created by the artist Richard Dadd, this work captures a heavy, historical gravity. The narrative centers on the biblical encounter where David chooses to spare the life of Saul, a decision that hangs in the air amidst the rugged terrain. It is a moment of choice and consequence, frozen in time.
In this oil on canvas, we find Portrait of a Young Man, a work executed by Richard Dadd. Created about 1853, the painting presents a quiet moment of observation. The subject is a young man captured in a seated pose, positioned slightly off-center to the right of the frame. He meets the viewer's gaze with a direct and confident expression, establishing an immediate sense of presence within the composition.
The scene unfolding before us is The Flight out of Egypt, a work created by the artist Richard Dadd. Painted in 1849, this oil on canvas captures a moment of profound movement and collective purpose. The air feels heavy with the weight of the exodus as a large group of people moves through a landscape that feels both ancient and immediate. It is a biblical scene, rendered with a sense…
Created about 1860, Negation by Richard Dadd presents a quiet, pastoral scene set within a rugged, rocky landscape. The composition centers on a group of four figures positioned across the midground: three women and one child. Their arrangement suggests a moment of domestic or communal activity amidst the natural terrain.
This portrait by Richard Dadd depicts Augustus Egg. The painting was executed about 1838-1840. The subject is presented in a bust-length composition, positioned slightly off-center while looking toward the right side of the frame. He wears a large, tall-crowned hat and dark clothing featuring a prominent white collar and a diagonal strap across the chest. This attire evokes a seventeenth-century aesthetic.
To stand before Richard Dadd's depiction of The Flight out of Egypt is to be swept away by a tide of human drama and profound movement. This large oil on canvas, dating from 1849, is far more than a mere historical tableau; it is a vibrant chronicle of exodus, resilience, and the enduring spirit of community under duress. Dadd masterfully captures not just the physical journey—the weary steps, the rhythmic…
A Visionary’s Descent: Richard Dadd's "Wandering Musicians" Richard Dadd’s “Wandering Musicians,” painted circa 1878, is not merely a pastoral scene; it’s a poignant window into the mind of an artist grappling with profound psychological turmoil. Created during his extended confinement within the walls of Bethlem and Broadmoor Hospitals – institutions then considered pioneering in the treatment of mental illness – the painting transcends simple representation, becoming a deeply layered exploration…
Portrait of a Young Man1853
12
Sir Alexander Morison (1779–1866), Alienist1852 · Scottish National Portrait Gallery
13
Sailing Ship1861 · Yale Center for British Art
14
Wandering Musicians1878
15
Dr William Orange1875
16
Puck And The Fairies
17
Sketch For The Passions
18
Robin Hood
19
Death Of Abimelech At Thebez,
20
Fantasy in a Egyptian Harem
21
The Death Of Richard Ii,
22
Avarice,
23
Sketch
24
Gaming, Sketch
25
Fish MarketYale Center for British Art
26
Italian Rustic Musicians
27
Portrait Of Sir Thomas Phillips In Arab Dress
28
The Attack of the Spider
29
Titania endormieThe Louvre
30
Fantasie Egyptienne
31
Sketch
32
The Rabbit Hutch
33
Suspense
34
Splendour And Wealth
35
Portrait Of John Mcdonald
36
Hunting scene
37
Come unto these Yellow Sands
38
Drunkenness,
39
A View of the Ancient City of Tlos in Lycia
40
Artist's Halt In The Desert
41
A Hermit
42
Sketch of Christ Walking on Water
43
The diadonus
44
Artist's Halt In The Desert
45
Juvenile Members of the Yacht Club
46
Portrait of Sir Thomas Philips in Eastern Costume,
47
Puck
48
Tombs of the khalifs cairo
49
Portrait of a Man
50
The Child’s Problem1857 · Tate Britain
51
Contradiction: Oberon and Titania1854
52
Titania Sleeping
The four subjects that come back most often in these originals, each with its finest example.
The 5 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Richard Dadd | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Yale Center for British Art |
New Haven | 6 | Hamlet and his Mother; The Closet Scene, Negation, Augustus Egg |
 Tate Britain |
London | 4 | The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke, The Flight out of Egypt, Wandering Musicians |
 J. Paul Getty Museum |
Los Angeles | 1 | Mercy: David Spareth Saul's Life |
 Scottish National Portrait Gallery |
Edinburgh | 1 | Sir Alexander Morison (1779–1866), Alienist |
 The Louvre |
Paris | 1 | Titania endormie |
Pick a decade to see the original that defines it.
This portrait by Richard Dadd depicts Augustus Egg. The painting was executed about 1838-1840. The subject is presented in a bust-length composition, positioned slightly off-center while looking toward the right side of the frame. He wears a large, tall-crowned hat and dark clothing featuring a prominent white collar and a diagonal strap across the chest. This attire evokes a seventeenth-century aesthetic.
The oil on canvas titled Hamlet and his Mother; The Closet Scene was painted by Richard Dadd in 1846. This work captures a moment of intense confrontation from the play by William Shakespeare. The scene focuses on the psychological weight of the closet scene, a private space of familial conflict and heavy shadows.
Richard Dadd was an English artist born in 1817, known for his detailed and imaginative paintings. He began his career as a painter of fairy scenes before the onset of mental illness. After committing a tragic act, he was confined to Bethlem Royal Hospital, where he continued painting under supervision.
Created about 1860, Negation by Richard Dadd presents a quiet, pastoral scene set within a rugged, rocky landscape. The composition centers on a group of four figures positioned across the midground: three women and one child. Their arrangement suggests a moment of domestic or communal activity amidst the natural terrain.
A Visionary’s Descent: Richard Dadd's "Wandering Musicians" Richard Dadd’s “Wandering Musicians,” painted circa 1878, is not merely a pastoral scene; it’s a poignant window into the mind of an artist grappling with profound psychological turmoil. Created during his extended confinement within the walls of Bethlem and Broadmoor Hospitals – institutions then considered pioneering in the treatment of mental illness – the painting transcends simple representation, becoming a deeply layered exploration…
The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke (1855), Tate Britain, London. Hamlet and his Mother; The Closet Scene (1846) and Mercy: David Spareth Saul's Life (1854) come next.
38 years old: The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke dates from 1855, and Richard Dadd was born in 1817.
The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke, Hamlet and his Mother; The Closet Scene, Mercy: David Spareth Saul's Life, Portrait of a Young Man, The Flight out of Egypt, Negation, Augustus Egg, The Flight out of Egypt, Wandering Musicians and Caravanserai at Mylasa in Asia Minor. The ranking above gives each one's year and museum.
Our catalog holds 53 works by Richard Dadd, dated from 1839 to 1878.
Mostly in Yale Center for British Art (New Haven), Tate Britain (London) and J. Paul Getty Museum (Los Angeles). The museum table above lists them all.
In 1850s: 7 of the 52 works on this page were made then, The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke among them.
On this page, the earliest is Augustus Egg (1839) and the latest Wandering Musicians (1878).
Victorian art (4), Fairies (3) and Mythology (3), across the 52 works on this page.
Oil On Canvas, for 9 of the 52 works on this page.
Romanticism, judging by the originals on this page.
Hamlet and his Mother; The Closet Scene, Negation and Augustus Egg: the Yale Center for British Art, New Haven holds 6 of the works on this page.
