The Salmon Leap, Leixlip

Francis Wheatley painted "The Salmon Leap" at Leixlip, outside Dublin, in 1783 during his years in Ireland (1779-1783). Wheatley had fled London to escape his creditors and spent four productive years painting Irish subjects. The Salmon Leap at Leixlip on the River Liffey was a popular picturesque destination. Wheatley's Irish paintings document the landscape and society of late 18th-century Ireland.

Wheatley renders the waterfall and surrounding landscape with precise topographical observation and atmospheric sensitivity. The composition balances the dramatic natural feature with the human figures, creating a picturesque scene in the tradition of English landscape painting.