John Liston as Lubin Log
Figurine
ca.1840 (made)
ca.1840 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
In the 19th century the stars of their day were often celebrated in paintings, prints and drawings, in ceramic figures and even Toby jugs. Several factories in Staffordshire specialised in moulded earthenware portrait figurines which were decorated by hand and sold cheaply. This figurine depicts John Liston (1776-1846) as Lubin Log, the conceited cockney character he first played in James Kenney's play Love, Law and Physic at Covent Garden Theatre on 20 November 1812, and in many revivals.
Despite a rather serious temperament, John Liston became one of the greatest comedians of all time, achieving his greatest successes in farce, particularly at the Haymarket Theatre in 1825 as the pompous busybody Paul Pry, a role in which he was often depicted in paintings, drawings and figurines. Liston was the first comic actor to command a salary greater than a tragedian, earning the vast salary of £60-£100 a week with Madame Vestris's company at the Olympic Theatre. He retired in 1837 after a successful stage career which lasted over thirty years.
Despite a rather serious temperament, John Liston became one of the greatest comedians of all time, achieving his greatest successes in farce, particularly at the Haymarket Theatre in 1825 as the pompous busybody Paul Pry, a role in which he was often depicted in paintings, drawings and figurines. Liston was the first comic actor to command a salary greater than a tragedian, earning the vast salary of £60-£100 a week with Madame Vestris's company at the Olympic Theatre. He retired in 1837 after a successful stage career which lasted over thirty years.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | John Liston as Lubin Log (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Glazed earthenware |
| Brief description | Figurine of John Liston (1776-1846) as Lubin Log in the comedy Love, Law and Physic by James Kenney, Covent Garden Theatre, 20 November 1812. Enoch Wood & Sons, Staffordshire, ca.1840 |
| Physical description | Earthenware figurine of John Liston as Lubin Log. He wears a blue jacket over a white waistcoat patterned in red, pale pink and red striped breeches, a white top hat over a gold-spotted cream scarf/hood, and black boots, and has a spotted scarf (yellow spots on a tan ground) over his shoulders. In his right hand he holds a hat box and an overcoat. In his left hand he holds a coin. Behind him is a pillar, for support. On an integral square base, the top painted brown, the sides white with two tan stripes. |
| 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 |
| Object history | The pose of this figurine is based on that in a print published by Orlando Hodgson in 1826 entitled: 'John Liston in his Principal Characters'. The print is inscribed with the names of nine characters for which he was most famous, with an appropriate quote for each - for Lubin Log: 'It's quite hoptinal you know, but here's sixpence for you'. Of all nine characters, pottery and porcelain figures are known to exist of seven of them, all dating from ca.1826 after Liston's enormous success as Paul Pry. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | In the 19th century the stars of their day were often celebrated in paintings, prints and drawings, in ceramic figures and even Toby jugs. Several factories in Staffordshire specialised in moulded earthenware portrait figurines which were decorated by hand and sold cheaply. This figurine depicts John Liston (1776-1846) as Lubin Log, the conceited cockney character he first played in James Kenney's play Love, Law and Physic at Covent Garden Theatre on 20 November 1812, and in many revivals. Despite a rather serious temperament, John Liston became one of the greatest comedians of all time, achieving his greatest successes in farce, particularly at the Haymarket Theatre in 1825 as the pompous busybody Paul Pry, a role in which he was often depicted in paintings, drawings and figurines. Liston was the first comic actor to command a salary greater than a tragedian, earning the vast salary of £60-£100 a week with Madame Vestris's company at the Olympic Theatre. He retired in 1837 after a successful stage career which lasted over thirty years. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.985-1996 |
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| Record created | December 29, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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