Not currently on display at the V&A

Scene from Paul Pry

Oil Painting
ca. 1827 (painted)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Paul Pry is a comedy by John Poole (1786/7-1872) in three acts. It was first produced on 13th September 1825. This scene shows the actor John Liston in the title role, with Phyllis Glover as 'Phoebe', Madame Vestris as 'Eliza' and Mr Williams as 'Colonel Hardy'. The play was extremely popular in the 1800s. Paul Pry was Liston's most successful role, and Derby porcelain figures and Staffordshire pottery figures of him were produced.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Titles
  • Scene from <i>Paul Pry</i> (generic title)
  • Scene from Mr Poole's Comedy of Paul Pry, with Portraits of madame Vestris, Miss P Glover, Mr Williams, and Mr Liston
Materials and techniques
Oil on canvas
Brief description
Oil painting by George Clint depicting 'John Liston as Paul Pry, Madame Vestris as Phebe (?), Phyllis Glover as Eliza (?) and Mr. Williams (or William Farren) as Colonel Hardy in 'Paul Pry' by John Poole'. Great Britain, ca. 1827.
Physical description
Oil on canvas; scene from 'Paul Pry' showing two ladies at a door on the right, a man standing just behind them and another man in top hat and cane to the left of the composition, pointing at one of the ladies.
Dimensions
  • Estimate height: 127.4cm
  • Estimate width: 101.7cm
Dimensions taken from Catalogue of British Oil Paintings 1820-1860, Ronald Parkinson, Victoria and Albert Museum, London: HMSO, 1990
Credit line
Given by John Sheepshanks, 1857
Object history
Given by John Sheepshanks, 1857
Subjects depicted
Summary
Paul Pry is a comedy by John Poole (1786/7-1872) in three acts. It was first produced on 13th September 1825. This scene shows the actor John Liston in the title role, with Phyllis Glover as 'Phoebe', Madame Vestris as 'Eliza' and Mr Williams as 'Colonel Hardy'. The play was extremely popular in the 1800s. Paul Pry was Liston's most successful role, and Derby porcelain figures and Staffordshire pottery figures of him were produced.
Bibliographic references
  • Ashton, Geoffrey. Catalogue of Paintings at the Theatre Museum, London. ed. James Fowler, London : Victoria and Albert Museum, 1992. 224p. ill. ISBN 1851771026
  • Parkinson, R., Victoria and Albert Museum, Catalogue of British Oil Paintings 1820-1860, London: HMSO, 1990, pp. 29-30
Collection
Accession number
FA.21[O]

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Record createdJune 19, 2003
Record URL
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