Ira Aldridge as Othello in 'Othello' by William Shakespeare
Painting
ca. 1848 (painted)
ca. 1848 (painted)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This painting depicts Ira Aldridge (1807-1867), born Frederick William Aldridge in New York, in his most famous role as Othello.
Aldridge made his first London appearance as Othello at the Royalty Theatre in London's East End on 11th May 1825 when he was seventeen years old, billed as 'Mr. Keene, a Gentleman of Colour, from the New York Theatre'. He played the part many times on tour in the provinces before playing it again in London for two performances at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden in 1833 when the tragedian Edmund Kean was too ill to perform. Some reviewers protested about a black actor being permitted to appear at Covent Garden, and the tone of their reviews the next day was somewhat sullen. Unable to criticise a good performance outright, The Morning Post grudgingly conceded: 'it was doubtless sufficiently good to be considered very curious'. This was balanced by the many other publications which declared Aldridge: 'a singularly gifted actor'(The Standard), who: 'evinced a great deal of feeling and nature in his performance' (The Spectator), with: 'beauties throughout his performance' (The Globe).
Aldridge made his first London appearance as Othello at the Royalty Theatre in London's East End on 11th May 1825 when he was seventeen years old, billed as 'Mr. Keene, a Gentleman of Colour, from the New York Theatre'. He played the part many times on tour in the provinces before playing it again in London for two performances at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden in 1833 when the tragedian Edmund Kean was too ill to perform. Some reviewers protested about a black actor being permitted to appear at Covent Garden, and the tone of their reviews the next day was somewhat sullen. Unable to criticise a good performance outright, The Morning Post grudgingly conceded: 'it was doubtless sufficiently good to be considered very curious'. This was balanced by the many other publications which declared Aldridge: 'a singularly gifted actor'(The Standard), who: 'evinced a great deal of feeling and nature in his performance' (The Spectator), with: 'beauties throughout his performance' (The Globe).
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
|
| Title | Ira Aldridge as Othello in 'Othello' by William Shakespeare (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Oil on canvas |
| Brief description | Portrait entitled Ira Aldridge as Othello in 'Othello' by William Shakespeare, unknown artist, ca. 1848 |
| Physical description | Ira Aldridge onstage as Othello, full length. He wears a black, light blue and gold costume and a gilt headdress and holds a curved sword in his right hand. Hs left hand is raised, pointing. There is an indistinct figure sitting in the background, possibly the Duke. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Gallery label | 7 Ira Aldridge as Othello
About 1848
Pictured here in the role that made him famous, Aldridge (1807–61) was an African American who came to Britain aged 17. He made his London debut as a ‘Gentleman of Colour’, a title reflecting the rarity of black actors in Britain at that time. He took over Othello from the mortally ill Edmund Kean in 1833 and went on to find fame in mainland Europe.
Play by William Shakespeare, 1604
Theatre Royal Covent Garden, London
Oil on canvas
Artist unknown
Given by Herbert Marshall
Museum no. S.1129-1986(March 2009) |
| Credit line | Given by Professor Herbert Marshall |
| Object history | Given to the V&A by Professor Herbert Marshall, the author, with Mildred Stock, of the biography of Ira Aldridge, published by Rockcliff in 1958. Professor Marshall was given the painting by Aldridge's daughter, Amanda. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Literary reference | Othello |
| Summary | This painting depicts Ira Aldridge (1807-1867), born Frederick William Aldridge in New York, in his most famous role as Othello. Aldridge made his first London appearance as Othello at the Royalty Theatre in London's East End on 11th May 1825 when he was seventeen years old, billed as 'Mr. Keene, a Gentleman of Colour, from the New York Theatre'. He played the part many times on tour in the provinces before playing it again in London for two performances at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden in 1833 when the tragedian Edmund Kean was too ill to perform. Some reviewers protested about a black actor being permitted to appear at Covent Garden, and the tone of their reviews the next day was somewhat sullen. Unable to criticise a good performance outright, The Morning Post grudgingly conceded: 'it was doubtless sufficiently good to be considered very curious'. This was balanced by the many other publications which declared Aldridge: 'a singularly gifted actor'(The Standard), who: 'evinced a great deal of feeling and nature in his performance' (The Spectator), with: 'beauties throughout his performance' (The Globe). |
| Bibliographic reference | Ashton, Geoffrey. Catalogue of Paintings at the Theatre Museum, London. ed. James Fowler, London : Victoria and Albert Museum, 1992. 224p. ill. ISBN 1851771026 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.1129-1986 |
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
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | October 31, 2003 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
