Peachum
Figurine
ca.1920 (made)
ca.1920 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This figurine represents Scott Russell as Peachum 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 | Peachum (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Moulded and glazed porcelain |
| Brief description | Figurine of Scott Russell as Peachum 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 figurine of Scott Russell as Peachum in The Beggar's Opera stadning by an integral, white fluted column. He wears a dark grey coat over a mauve waistcoat and lemon-yellow knee length breeches, white stockings, black garters and black buckled shoes. He has a black hat, grey full-bottomed wig and is looking to his left. He holds a tan portfolio under his right arm, his left hand is raised to hold his left lapel. Painted in underglaze colour apart from his dark grey coat which is overglaze; gilt detail for buttons. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Credit line | Given by Mervyn Jones-Evans |
| Subject depicted | |
| Literary reference | The Beggar's Opera |
| Summary | This figurine represents Scott Russell as Peachum 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.683-1981 |
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| Record created | December 7, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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