Not currently on display at the V&A

Jenny Lind in Donizetti's opera La Fille du Regiment

Painting
ca.1850 (painted)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This oil painting is anonymous but depicts the Swedish opera singer Jenny Lind (1820-1887) as Marie the vivandière in Donizetti's La Fille du Regiment. It may represent the moment in Act 1 when Marie has to bid farewell toi the regiment that has adopted her. Jenny Lind took London by storm after her first appearance at Her Majesty's Opera House on 4 May 1847 as Alice in Meyerbeer's opera Robert Il Diavolo and made her first appearance as Marie on 27th May. Queen Victoria attended both her first nights, and after seeing her as Marie on the 27th wrote in her journal that Jenny Lind: 'again had a great triumph, acting and singing exquisitely. She looked very pretty in her vivandière's dress and was so sprightly in that character, having touching moments when she takes leave of the Regiment.'

Jenny Lind trained in Stockholm and Paris and made her début in 1844 in Berlin, performing in Germany and Austria before making her London début. She became such a phenomenon in London that her portrait was reproduced on all manner of items, from snuff boxes and matchboxes to soap and candle snuffers. The contemporary song 'Jenny Lind Mania' celebrated the craze for her, starting: 'Oh! Is there not a pretty fuss, In London all around, About the Swedish Nightingale, The talk of London town, Each square and street as through you pass, Aloud its praises ring, About this pretty singing bird, The famous Jenny Lind.'





Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleJenny Lind in Donizetti's opera La Fille du Regiment
Materials and techniques
oil on canvas
Brief description
Jenny Lind(1820-1887) as Maria with a battalion of solidiers in Act I of Gaetano Donizetti's opera La Fille du Regiment. Oil on canvas. Unattributed.
Physical description
Framed, unglazed oil painting in gold frame of the Act I scene of the opera La Fille du Regiment set in the Tyrol, showing Jenny Lind as Marie the vivandière standing in the foreground in a mountain setting, holding her hat in her right hand, with a mountain chalet behind her to her left and a battalion of soldiers marching towards her behind her, on her right.
Dimensions
  • Whole object, framed height: 62.5cm
  • Width: 52.3cm
  • Reveal, as seen from front height: 49.3cm
  • Reveal, as seen from front width: 39.1cm
  • The stretcher with the canvas attached, as seen from the back of the frame height: 51.2cm
  • The stretcher with the canvas attached, as seen from the back of the frame width: 41.0cm
Credit line
Acquired with the support of the Friends of the V&A
Object history
This painting is anonymous but represents the Swedish singer Jenny Lind as Marie in Act I of Gaetano Donizetti's opera La Fille du Regiment that had its first London performance at Her Majesty's Opera House on 27 May 1847. A print showing the same scene was published by George Baxter on 19 July 1856.
Subject depicted
Association
Summary
This oil painting is anonymous but depicts the Swedish opera singer Jenny Lind (1820-1887) as Marie the vivandière in Donizetti's La Fille du Regiment. It may represent the moment in Act 1 when Marie has to bid farewell toi the regiment that has adopted her. Jenny Lind took London by storm after her first appearance at Her Majesty's Opera House on 4 May 1847 as Alice in Meyerbeer's opera Robert Il Diavolo and made her first appearance as Marie on 27th May. Queen Victoria attended both her first nights, and after seeing her as Marie on the 27th wrote in her journal that Jenny Lind: 'again had a great triumph, acting and singing exquisitely. She looked very pretty in her vivandière's dress and was so sprightly in that character, having touching moments when she takes leave of the Regiment.'

Jenny Lind trained in Stockholm and Paris and made her début in 1844 in Berlin, performing in Germany and Austria before making her London début. She became such a phenomenon in London that her portrait was reproduced on all manner of items, from snuff boxes and matchboxes to soap and candle snuffers. The contemporary song 'Jenny Lind Mania' celebrated the craze for her, starting: 'Oh! Is there not a pretty fuss, In London all around, About the Swedish Nightingale, The talk of London town, Each square and street as through you pass, Aloud its praises ring, About this pretty singing bird, The famous Jenny Lind.'



Bibliographic reference
Collection
Accession number
S.1691-2014

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdOctober 20, 2014
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest