Portrait of Mrs Siddons, born Sarah Kemble
Portrait Miniature
1783 (painted)
1783 (painted)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
By 1783 Mrs Siddons was the leading tragic actress in the country, and any portrait of her was guaranteed to be an eye-catcher in a crowded exhibition room. Richard Crosse astutely recognised the appeal of the star, and painted a miniature of five inches which he clearly intended to act as an advertisement for him as well as for the actress. Painting on such a large scale on ivory in watercolours was an undoubted test of skill. He has ingeniously exploited the light-reflecting ivory support by increasing the transparency of the watercolours by adding more gum arabic. He has also avoided depicting Mrs Siddons in a theatrical role. By presenting her in fashionable dress and standing among picturesquely evocative ruins, he alludes to her classical tragic roles, but does so with a gentle lyricism altogether appropriate to the scale of the art of painting in miniature.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Portrait of Mrs Siddons, born Sarah Kemble (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Watercolour on ivory |
| Brief description | Portrait miniature of the actress Sarah Siddons (1755-1831) née Kemble, by Richard Crosse. Great Britain, 1783. |
| Physical description | Portrait of Mrs Siddons, the famous actress, leaning on a pillar with an urn in the background. Wearing a white dress trimmed with blue ribbon. Hair worn high and powdered with pearls laced through it. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Credit line | Purchased, 1929 |
| Object history | Purchased, 1929 with P.147-1929 and P.148-1929 |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | By 1783 Mrs Siddons was the leading tragic actress in the country, and any portrait of her was guaranteed to be an eye-catcher in a crowded exhibition room. Richard Crosse astutely recognised the appeal of the star, and painted a miniature of five inches which he clearly intended to act as an advertisement for him as well as for the actress. Painting on such a large scale on ivory in watercolours was an undoubted test of skill. He has ingeniously exploited the light-reflecting ivory support by increasing the transparency of the watercolours by adding more gum arabic. He has also avoided depicting Mrs Siddons in a theatrical role. By presenting her in fashionable dress and standing among picturesquely evocative ruins, he alludes to her classical tragic roles, but does so with a gentle lyricism altogether appropriate to the scale of the art of painting in miniature. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | P.146-1929 |
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| Record created | February 25, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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