Figurine of Gwen Frangcon-Davies as Mrs Sidney Herbert in The Lady with a LampFigurine
1929 (made)
1929 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This is one of several wax figurines executed by Agatha Walker in the 1920s, mostly of actors and actresses in costume for roles in successful productions on the London stage. The 19th century saw a craze for ceramic figurines of performers and Agatha Walker attempted to revive this tradition with her limited edition sculptures. They were modelled from life in plaster and coated with a fine wax layer which was then coloured. In 1931 Agatha Walker's wax figures were exhibited at the Fine Art Society.
This figurine represents the actress Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies (1891-1992) as Mrs Sidney Herbert, or Lady Herbert of Lea, in The Lady With a Lamp, a new play about the life of Florence Nightingale by Ronald Berkeley. It opened at London's Arts Theatre on 5 January 1929 and after ten performances transferred to the Garrick Theatre where it stayed until the middle of June, achieving a run of 164 performances. Edith Evans played Florence Nightingale, and critics noted that the two star actresses were perfect foils to each other.
This figurine represents the actress Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies (1891-1992) as Mrs Sidney Herbert, or Lady Herbert of Lea, in The Lady With a Lamp, a new play about the life of Florence Nightingale by Ronald Berkeley. It opened at London's Arts Theatre on 5 January 1929 and after ten performances transferred to the Garrick Theatre where it stayed until the middle of June, achieving a run of 164 performances. Edith Evans played Florence Nightingale, and critics noted that the two star actresses were perfect foils to each other.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Figurine of Gwen Frangcon-Davies as Mrs Sidney Herbert in <i>The Lady with a Lamp</i (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Moulded plaster, covered with wax and coloured |
| Brief description | Figurine by Agatha Walker of Gwen Frangcon-Davies as Mrs Sidney Herbert, Lady Elizabeth Herbert of Lea, in The Lady with a Lamp, by Reginald Berkeley, Arts Theatre, 1929. Moulded plaster coated in wax and coloured |
| Physical description | Wax figurine of Gwen Ffrangcon-Davis as Mrs Sidney Herbert standing on an integral brown base and wearing a cream blouse and cream and brown striped, two-tiered, full- length skirt. She also wears a black shawl with red and orange floral decoration and a black hat with a cream feather. She is holding an umbrella in her left hand. Both her hands are in front of her at waist height. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Credit line | Accepted by HM Government in lieu of Inheritance Tax and allocated to the Victoria and Albert Museum, 1996 |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | This is one of several wax figurines executed by Agatha Walker in the 1920s, mostly of actors and actresses in costume for roles in successful productions on the London stage. The 19th century saw a craze for ceramic figurines of performers and Agatha Walker attempted to revive this tradition with her limited edition sculptures. They were modelled from life in plaster and coated with a fine wax layer which was then coloured. In 1931 Agatha Walker's wax figures were exhibited at the Fine Art Society. This figurine represents the actress Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies (1891-1992) as Mrs Sidney Herbert, or Lady Herbert of Lea, in The Lady With a Lamp, a new play about the life of Florence Nightingale by Ronald Berkeley. It opened at London's Arts Theatre on 5 January 1929 and after ten performances transferred to the Garrick Theatre where it stayed until the middle of June, achieving a run of 164 performances. Edith Evans played Florence Nightingale, and critics noted that the two star actresses were perfect foils to each other. |
| Bibliographic reference | Stage Personalities. The Portrait Statuettes of Agatha Walker The Studio, vol. 101 (1931) |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.1042-1996 |
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| Record created | November 7, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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