Captain Macheath
Figurine
ca.1920 (made)
ca.1920 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This figurine represents the baritone Frederick Ranalow (1873-1953) as Captain Macheath in Nigel Playfair's celebrated revival of John Gay's The Beggar's Opera, which opened at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, in June 1920, designed by Claud Lovat Fraser. With music re-written and supplemented by Frederic Austin, Gay's 18th century ballad opera, featuring traditional tunes, took London by storm and put Hammersmith firmly on the theatrical map.
The huge popularity of this production, which ran for over three years, spawned a surprising quantity of figurines in porcelain and wax. They are an indication of the impact that the production made on designers and artists. The highly simplified, almost illustrative, quality of the designs was characteristic of British theatrical design in the wake of the impact of the Diaghilev Ballets Russes and in reaction against the detailed 19th century tradition of realism and historicism. This figurine is one of a set produced around 1920 featuring several of the main characters in the cast.
The huge popularity of this production, which ran for over three years, spawned a surprising quantity of figurines in porcelain and wax. They are an indication of the impact that the production made on designers and artists. The highly simplified, almost illustrative, quality of the designs was characteristic of British theatrical design in the wake of the impact of the Diaghilev Ballets Russes and in reaction against the detailed 19th century tradition of realism and historicism. This figurine is one of a set produced around 1920 featuring several of the main characters in the cast.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Captain Macheath (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Moulded and glazed porcelain |
| Brief description | Figurine of Frederick Ranalow (1873-1953) as Captain Macheath in John Gay's The Beggar's Opera, dressed in the costume designed by Claud Lovat Fraser for Nigel Playfair's production at the Lyric Theatre Hammersmith, 5 June 1920 |
| Physical description | Glazed porcelain figure of Frederick Ranalow as Captain Macheath in The Beggar's Opera at Lyric Hammersmith, 1920. Painted in undergalze colour with gilt paint for buttons. He wears a tan-coloured jacket, yellow waistcoat, black knee breeches with white stockings and black buckled shoes. He has a grey powdered wig and carries his hat under his left arm. He stands against a white fluted column. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | 'PX645' plus a mark (Incised on base) |
| Credit line | Given by Mervyn Jones-Evans |
| Object history | |
| Subject depicted | |
| Association | |
| Literary reference | The Beggar's Opera |
| Summary | This figurine represents the baritone Frederick Ranalow (1873-1953) as Captain Macheath in Nigel Playfair's celebrated revival of John Gay's The Beggar's Opera, which opened at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, in June 1920, designed by Claud Lovat Fraser. With music re-written and supplemented by Frederic Austin, Gay's 18th century ballad opera, featuring traditional tunes, took London by storm and put Hammersmith firmly on the theatrical map. The huge popularity of this production, which ran for over three years, spawned a surprising quantity of figurines in porcelain and wax. They are an indication of the impact that the production made on designers and artists. The highly simplified, almost illustrative, quality of the designs was characteristic of British theatrical design in the wake of the impact of the Diaghilev Ballets Russes and in reaction against the detailed 19th century tradition of realism and historicism. This figurine is one of a set produced around 1920 featuring several of the main characters in the cast. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.681-1981 |
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| Record created | December 6, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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