Stephen T. Dadd, often cited under the signature S. T. Dadd, was a British painter and illustrator active from the late nineteenth century into the early twentieth (sometimes given as fl. 1879–1914, i.e., “active between”). He worked primarily for the illustrated press, producing images intended for print reproduction: scenes of contemporary life, figurative subjects, and—very frequently—animals, as well as settings connected with sport and hunting. He is associated with The Illustrated London News and related British illustrated periodicals of the period.
His manner suits the requirements of the illustrated newspaper: clear, readable compositions, close attention to silhouette and movement, and a strong graphic precision in rendering both animal posture and human action.
The surname Dadd can lead to bibliographic confusion: other artists with the same name, including members of the same family, were active in the same era, which has contributed to occasional overlaps in attribution. For that reason, more careful cataloguing often identifies him through the S. T. Dadd signature and references to specific publications.
