Maria Foote as the Little Jockey
Figurine
ca.1831 (made)
ca.1831 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
In the 19th century the star actors and actresses of their day were often celebrated in paintings, prints and drawings, in ceramic figures and even Toby jugs. Several factories in England manufactured the ceramic items which were decorated by hand and sold cheaply. This figurine is of Maria Foote (1798-1867), the Plymouth girl whose father was a theatre manager in her home town, and is based on a print published by Orlando Hodgson, entitled Miss Foote as the Little Jockey. The figurine originally had a riding crop in the right hand, but this is missing.
Maria Foote's stage career began at the early age of 12, playing Juliet to her mother's Romeo, casting which was a cause for scandal in early 19th century Plymouth. The family moved to London to escape the furore and by the age of 16 Maria was acting at Covent Garden Theatre, where her good looks entranced audiences and apparently compensated for any lack of talent. When she played Arinette, the Little Jockey in William Dimond's comic burletta The Little Jockey, at the Olympic Theatre in January 1831 she was certainly the star of the piece, singing the songs 'Why pretty Maiden' and 'The boy in yellow wins the day' and, according to one reviewer, being 'the most perfect presentation' of a little jockey ever witnessed. The added attraction of seeing actresses in 'breeches roles', with their legs on display, was a popular feature of entertainment at the Olympic Theatre.
Maria Foote's stage career began at the early age of 12, playing Juliet to her mother's Romeo, casting which was a cause for scandal in early 19th century Plymouth. The family moved to London to escape the furore and by the age of 16 Maria was acting at Covent Garden Theatre, where her good looks entranced audiences and apparently compensated for any lack of talent. When she played Arinette, the Little Jockey in William Dimond's comic burletta The Little Jockey, at the Olympic Theatre in January 1831 she was certainly the star of the piece, singing the songs 'Why pretty Maiden' and 'The boy in yellow wins the day' and, according to one reviewer, being 'the most perfect presentation' of a little jockey ever witnessed. The added attraction of seeing actresses in 'breeches roles', with their legs on display, was a popular feature of entertainment at the Olympic Theatre.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Maria Foote as the Little Jockey (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Glazed bone china |
| Brief description | Glazed bone china figurine of Maria Foote (1798-1867) as Arinette the Little Jockey in the comic burletta The Little Jockey or Love and Folly, by William Dimond, Olympic Theatre, January 1831 |
| Physical description | Glazed bone china figurine with overglaze gilt details of Maria Foote in her costume as The Little Jockey, standing on a roughly circular cream base with integral cream tree stump and a gold line around the base. Her right arm is in the air, originally holding a riding crop, and her left arm is to her hip. She wears black boots with cream tops, cream breeches, a black knee-length waisted jacket with gold cuffs and lapels, and a cream waistcoat patterned with a green, pink and gold floral motif. She wears a pink cravat and an orange jockey's cap with gilt peak. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Accepted by HM Government in lieu of Inheritance Tax and allocated to the Victoria and Albert Museum, 1996 |
| Association | |
| Summary | In the 19th century the star actors and actresses of their day were often celebrated in paintings, prints and drawings, in ceramic figures and even Toby jugs. Several factories in England manufactured the ceramic items which were decorated by hand and sold cheaply. This figurine is of Maria Foote (1798-1867), the Plymouth girl whose father was a theatre manager in her home town, and is based on a print published by Orlando Hodgson, entitled Miss Foote as the Little Jockey. The figurine originally had a riding crop in the right hand, but this is missing. Maria Foote's stage career began at the early age of 12, playing Juliet to her mother's Romeo, casting which was a cause for scandal in early 19th century Plymouth. The family moved to London to escape the furore and by the age of 16 Maria was acting at Covent Garden Theatre, where her good looks entranced audiences and apparently compensated for any lack of talent. When she played Arinette, the Little Jockey in William Dimond's comic burletta The Little Jockey, at the Olympic Theatre in January 1831 she was certainly the star of the piece, singing the songs 'Why pretty Maiden' and 'The boy in yellow wins the day' and, according to one reviewer, being 'the most perfect presentation' of a little jockey ever witnessed. The added attraction of seeing actresses in 'breeches roles', with their legs on display, was a popular feature of entertainment at the Olympic Theatre. |
| Associated object | S.38-2007 (Object) |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.937-1996 |
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| Record created | June 29, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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