Not currently on display at the V&A

James Hadfield

Print
1800 (printed)
Artist/Maker
S. W. Fores (publisher)
Place of origin
London (published)

Etched portrait of James Hadfield (1771/2-1841), 1800. Harry Beard Collection. As the caption below the etching explains, Hadfield became famous when on the evening of 15 May 1800, at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, during the playing of the national anthem, he fired a pistol at the King (George III) who was then standing in the royal box. The shot missed and Hadfield was caught. He was later tried for high treason but pleaded insanity and died from tuberculosis in Bethleham Hospital (Bedlam) in 1841.


Object details

Categories
Entertainment & Leisure
Prints
Object type
Print
TitleJames Hadfield (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Etching, printed ink on paper.
Printing Ink
Paper
Print-Making
Brief description
Etched portrait of James Hadfield (1771/2-1841), 1800. Harry Beard Collection
Physical description
Etched portrait of James Hadfield (1771/2-1841), 1800.
Dimensions
  • Height: 22.2cm
  • Width: 17.3cm
Credit line
Harry R. Beard Collection, given by Isobel Beard
Subject depicted
James Hadfield
Summary
Etched portrait of James Hadfield (1771/2-1841), 1800. Harry Beard Collection. As the caption below the etching explains, Hadfield became famous when on the evening of 15 May 1800, at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, during the playing of the national anthem, he fired a pistol at the King (George III) who was then standing in the royal box. The shot missed and Hadfield was caught. He was later tried for high treason but pleaded insanity and died from tuberculosis in Bethleham Hospital (Bedlam) in 1841.
Other number
Collection
Theatre and Performance Collection
Accession number
S.1777-2012

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Record createdDecember 19, 2012
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1258867/james-hadfield-print-s-w-fores/
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