Miniature
early 19th century (painted)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This miniature is of the great actress Sarah Siddons (1755-1831) who, with her brother Stephen Kemble, dominated the English stage of the late eighteenth and early twentieth centuries. Sarah Siddons was the youngest of the actor Roger Kemble's twelve children and spent her formative years with the family theatre company, travelling up and down the country. The family's first appearance at Drury Lane Theatre in the 1775 to 1776 season was not a success but when she appeared there again as Isabella in The Fatal Marriage, she was celebrated as the perfect noble tragic heroine, creating a legend that lasted until her retirement in 1812.
During her lifetime Mrs. Siddons was painted by most of the great painters of the day, both in costume, and as here, in day dress. Before the days of photography, miniatures were an extremely popular and portable form of portraiture and were often provided with satin-lined leather cases to contain them for travelling.
During her lifetime Mrs. Siddons was painted by most of the great painters of the day, both in costume, and as here, in day dress. Before the days of photography, miniatures were an extremely popular and portable form of portraiture and were often provided with satin-lined leather cases to contain them for travelling.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Watercolour on ivory |
| Brief description | Miniature of Mrs. Siddons (1755-1831). Anonymous. |
| Physical description | Painted oval miniature of Mrs. Siddons wearing a cream, high-waisted dress, a blue jacket or wrap and white head-dress with blue bands of decoration. The miniature in set in a gold-framed oval frame made in two sections, each bordered with a tooled gilt border. The front section is glazed showing the miniature and the back section incorporates a lock of hair against a brilliant blue oval ground. With gold loop for suspension. |
| 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 |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | This miniature is of the great actress Sarah Siddons (1755-1831) who, with her brother Stephen Kemble, dominated the English stage of the late eighteenth and early twentieth centuries. Sarah Siddons was the youngest of the actor Roger Kemble's twelve children and spent her formative years with the family theatre company, travelling up and down the country. The family's first appearance at Drury Lane Theatre in the 1775 to 1776 season was not a success but when she appeared there again as Isabella in The Fatal Marriage, she was celebrated as the perfect noble tragic heroine, creating a legend that lasted until her retirement in 1812. During her lifetime Mrs. Siddons was painted by most of the great painters of the day, both in costume, and as here, in day dress. Before the days of photography, miniatures were an extremely popular and portable form of portraiture and were often provided with satin-lined leather cases to contain them for travelling. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.729-1997 |
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| Record created | April 6, 2006 |
| Record URL |
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