Not currently on display at the V&A

Sarah Martha Siddons, known as Sally

Print
ca.1830
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Sarah Martha Siddons (1775-1803), known as Sally, was the first daughter and second child of the actor Sarah Siddons (née Kemble) (1755-1831) and her husband William Siddons (1744-1808). The print is by Frederick Christian Lewis (1779-1856) after an original crayon drawing by Sir Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830).

Lawrence had moved to London from Bath in 1787 to study at the Royal Academy Schools. He had met Sarah Siddons a decade earlier in Bath and became a visitor to her house where he sketched portraits of her children, and by late 1795 or early 1796, was in a romantic relationship with Sally. He soon transferred his affections to her younger sister Maria (1779-1798), to whom he was engaged, but broke off the engagement before Maria's death from tuberculosis in October 1798, and declared his love again for Sally, who also died from tuberculosis in 1803.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleSarah Martha Siddons, known as Sally (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Pen and watercolour
Brief description
Portrait of Miss Sarah Martha Siddons, known as Sally (1775-1803). Lithograph by Frederick Christian Lewis (1779-1856) after the original drawing by Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830). Harry Beard Collection
Dimensions
  • Sheet height: 31.2cm
  • Sheet width: 23.4cm
Credit line
Accepted by HM Government in lieu of Inheritance Tax and allocated to the Victoria and Albert Museum, 1996
Subject depicted
Summary
Sarah Martha Siddons (1775-1803), known as Sally, was the first daughter and second child of the actor Sarah Siddons (née Kemble) (1755-1831) and her husband William Siddons (1744-1808). The print is by Frederick Christian Lewis (1779-1856) after an original crayon drawing by Sir Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830).

Lawrence had moved to London from Bath in 1787 to study at the Royal Academy Schools. He had met Sarah Siddons a decade earlier in Bath and became a visitor to her house where he sketched portraits of her children, and by late 1795 or early 1796, was in a romantic relationship with Sally. He soon transferred his affections to her younger sister Maria (1779-1798), to whom he was engaged, but broke off the engagement before Maria's death from tuberculosis in October 1798, and declared his love again for Sally, who also died from tuberculosis in 1803.
Associated objects
Collection
Accession number
S.140-1997

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Record createdOctober 20, 2009
Record URL
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