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Mirror
Beerbohm Tree, Herbert, born 1852 - died 1917 - Enlarge image
Mirror
- Place of origin:
London, England (painted)
- Date:
late 19th century (painted)
- Artist/Maker:
Beerbohm Tree, Herbert, born 1852 - died 1917 (painters (artists))
- Materials and Techniques:
Paint on mirror
- Credit Line:
Given by Tony Sympson
- Museum number:
S.18-2008
- Gallery location:
In Storage
This mirror belonged to Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree, the eminent late-Victorian actor-manager of Her Majesty's Theatre in London's West End.
From 1887, Tree was manager of the Haymarket Theatre. He restored the theatre's reputation to high prestige, performing in popular melodramas such as Trilbyand producing and starring in new drama including plays by Ibsen and Wilde. He furthermore mounted critically-acclaimed productions of Shakespeare including Hamletand The Merry Wives of Windsor. His reputation and profit from these productions meant that by 1897, he could help fund construction of Her Majesty's Theatre, which he subsequently managed. It was during his tenure here that he performed all three of the roles pictured on this mirror.
Painted by Tree as a make-up guide for future performances, the mirror features, clockwise from top, Falstaff from The Merry Wives of Windsor,Fagin from Oliver Twistand Svengali from Trilby. Tree was considered a versatile actor, taking on a number of roles, but criticism of his style focused on his external, superficial approach to character. His performances as tragic characters were mostly overshadowed by other contemporary actors, such as Irving, but in eccentric roles he excelled. The three characters pictured here - Svengali, an evil hypnotist; Fagin, a stereotyped leader of a band of robber children; and Falstaff, a fat, arrogant and cowardly knight - all played to Tree's strengths as an actor, being outlandish and exaggerated.
