Charles Dickens
- Object:
Relief
- Place of origin:
England (made)
- Date:
1878 (made)
- Artist/Maker:
Smith, Thomas Theophilus, born 1800 (medallist)
- Materials and Techniques:
White wax
- Museum number:
A.25-1984
- Gallery location:
In Storage
This white wax portrait depicting Charles Dickens is made by Theophilus (Thomas) Smith in England in 1878 (?).
Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was a journalist and a very popular Victorian novelist. His first novel, Pickwick Papers (1837), was an enormous success. It was followed by Oliver Twist (1839) and many other books that drew on his life experiences. As a child Dickens had grown up in poverty, and his novels deal with social injustices with compassion and humour. Dickens's novels were serialised monthly before being published in book form. He gave public readings to audiences in Britain and the United States. He was also editor of the Illustrated London News, a newspaper that reported on politics, current events and fashion.
