Tile
ca.1771 (Made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This tile showing Mrs Yates (1728-1787)inn the title role of Jane Shore by Nicholas Rowe, is one of a series of late 18th-century tiles of actors and actresses produced in Liverpool by John Sadler (1720-1789). Sadler experimented with transfer-printing on white glazed delftware tiles, transferring images from engraved copper plates to tiles, using enamel colours that were fixed during low-temperature firing.
Actors and actresses could become extremely well known in the18th century, when theatres, concert halls and pleasure gardens were the major forms of public entertainment. Engravers regularly produced images of paintings of the most popular performers, so the ability to reproduce engravings on ceramics was a lucrative development. Since the engravings were transfer-printed, the original images appear on the tiles in reverse.
Born in Birmingham, Mary Ann Yates became one of David Garrick's leading ladies at Drury Lane Theatre where she first appeared in 1754. After marrying the Drury Lane comedian Richard Yates, Garrick cast her in a leading role in the 1756 season. She became a firm favourite there after her success in the coveted role of Jane Shore. Despite becoming a troublesome leading lady she was a regular member of Garrick's company until the end of the 1766–7 season. Following disputes with Garrick, she appeared at Covent Garden where she played Lady Townley to William Smith's Lord Townley in the 1768-1769 season. After a time in management of the King's Theatre in 1773, she returned to Drury Lane for the 1774–5 season and remained there after Garrick's retirement and delivered the elegy at his funeral.
Actors and actresses could become extremely well known in the18th century, when theatres, concert halls and pleasure gardens were the major forms of public entertainment. Engravers regularly produced images of paintings of the most popular performers, so the ability to reproduce engravings on ceramics was a lucrative development. Since the engravings were transfer-printed, the original images appear on the tiles in reverse.
Born in Birmingham, Mary Ann Yates became one of David Garrick's leading ladies at Drury Lane Theatre where she first appeared in 1754. After marrying the Drury Lane comedian Richard Yates, Garrick cast her in a leading role in the 1756 season. She became a firm favourite there after her success in the coveted role of Jane Shore. Despite becoming a troublesome leading lady she was a regular member of Garrick's company until the end of the 1766–7 season. Following disputes with Garrick, she appeared at Covent Garden where she played Lady Townley to William Smith's Lord Townley in the 1768-1769 season. After a time in management of the King's Theatre in 1773, she returned to Drury Lane for the 1774–5 season and remained there after Garrick's retirement and delivered the elegy at his funeral.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Glazed earthenware |
| Brief description | Tile decorated with an image of Mary Ann Yates (1728-1787) in the title role of Jane Shore by Nicholas Rowe, Drury Lane Theatre, 1757. From an engraving by J. Collyer, after D. Dodd, published by Lowndes as a plate to New English Theatre, 1776. Tin-glazed earthenware Delft tile by James Sadler, Liverpool, 1777-1780. |
| Physical description | Square glazed cream earthenware tile, transfer-printed with a decorative border of trellis work, and symbolic theatrical objects on the right and left sides including a flaming torch, comedy and tragedy mask, and a lyre. There is a central image of Mary Ann Yates as Jane Shore, looking distressed, standing by a large doorway. Behind her is a small central figure of a pike-man. In a ribbon ground above his head is the name: 'MRS YATES' and below: 'in the character of JANE SHORE' decoration in underglaze ox-blood colour. |
| 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 image shows Mary Ann Yates as Jane Shore in Jane Shore by Nicholas Rowe, Drury Lane Theatre, 1757. |
| Production | The tile is printed with an image of Mary Ann Yates as Jane Shore, from an engraving by J. Collyer, after D. Dodd. Published by Lowndes as a plate to New English Theatre, 1776. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Association | |
| Summary | This tile showing Mrs Yates (1728-1787)inn the title role of Jane Shore by Nicholas Rowe, is one of a series of late 18th-century tiles of actors and actresses produced in Liverpool by John Sadler (1720-1789). Sadler experimented with transfer-printing on white glazed delftware tiles, transferring images from engraved copper plates to tiles, using enamel colours that were fixed during low-temperature firing. Actors and actresses could become extremely well known in the18th century, when theatres, concert halls and pleasure gardens were the major forms of public entertainment. Engravers regularly produced images of paintings of the most popular performers, so the ability to reproduce engravings on ceramics was a lucrative development. Since the engravings were transfer-printed, the original images appear on the tiles in reverse. Born in Birmingham, Mary Ann Yates became one of David Garrick's leading ladies at Drury Lane Theatre where she first appeared in 1754. After marrying the Drury Lane comedian Richard Yates, Garrick cast her in a leading role in the 1756 season. She became a firm favourite there after her success in the coveted role of Jane Shore. Despite becoming a troublesome leading lady she was a regular member of Garrick's company until the end of the 1766–7 season. Following disputes with Garrick, she appeared at Covent Garden where she played Lady Townley to William Smith's Lord Townley in the 1768-1769 season. After a time in management of the King's Theatre in 1773, she returned to Drury Lane for the 1774–5 season and remained there after Garrick's retirement and delivered the elegy at his funeral. |
| Bibliographic reference | A Biographical Dictionary of Actors, Actresses, Musicians, Dancers, Managers and other Stage Personnel in London, 1660-1800, vol. 6. Published by Southern Illinois University Press, 1993.
Dictionar6y of National Biography. Oxford Univertsity Press, 2005. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.631-1997 |
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| Record created | February 20, 2006 |
| Record URL |
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