Not currently on display at the V&A

Print

1819 (printed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Engraved portrait of the actor William Charles Macready (1793-1873), as Orestes in The Distress Mother,1819. Harry Beard Collection.

William Charles Macready was intending to go up to Oxford University in 1809 when the financial troubles of his father, the lessee of several provincial theatres, called him to share the responsibilities of theatrical management. He worked with and acted for his father for some years and then at Bath, making his London debut at Covent Garden in 1816.

For the next couple of seasons he found himself constantly cast as villains and, although his reputation for truthful and powerful impersonations grew, he found many of the melodramatically diabolical roles distasteful.



Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Engraving, printed ink on paper
Brief description
Engraved portrait of the actor William Charles Macready (1793-1873), as Orestes in The Distress Mother,1819. Harry Beard Collection
Physical description
Engraved portrait of the actor William Charles Macready (1793-1873), as Orestes in The Distress Mother,1819.

Dimensions
  • Height: 17.4cm
  • Width: 10.3cm
Credit line
Harry R. Beard Collection, given by Isobel Beard
Subject depicted
Literary referenceVirginius
Summary
Engraved portrait of the actor William Charles Macready (1793-1873), as Orestes in The Distress Mother,1819. Harry Beard Collection.

William Charles Macready was intending to go up to Oxford University in 1809 when the financial troubles of his father, the lessee of several provincial theatres, called him to share the responsibilities of theatrical management. He worked with and acted for his father for some years and then at Bath, making his London debut at Covent Garden in 1816.

For the next couple of seasons he found himself constantly cast as villains and, although his reputation for truthful and powerful impersonations grew, he found many of the melodramatically diabolical roles distasteful.

Other number
Collection
Accession number
S.1356-2013

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Record createdApril 15, 2013
Record URL
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