Not currently on display at the V&A

Maria Foote as the Little Jockey

Figurine
ca.1840 (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. 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
TitleMaria Foote as the Little Jockey (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Glazed earthenware
Brief description
Glazed earthenware 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 earthenware figurine of Maria Foote as Ariette in The Little Jockey, standing on a green tree-stump base, dressed in black boots with beige tops, grey breeches and a waistcoat striped with purple and ochre stripes. She has grey hair under a black jockey's cap and carries a crop in her left hand and the remnants of a pipe in her right hand. The tip of the nose lacks glaze.
Dimensions
  • Height: 17.5cm
  • At widest point width: 9.0cm
  • Of base diameter: 6.8cm
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. 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.

Collection
Accession number
S.942-1996

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Record createdSeptember 8, 2005
Record URL
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