Mrs. Bland
Print
1822 (printed)
1822 (printed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Portraits of actors and actresses in popular productions were produced in great numbers in the 18th and 19th centuries and were sold in print shops. This represents the successful Jewish-Italian singer Maria Theresa Romanzini (1769-1838) who made her name on stage before she married the actor George Bland in 1790. This print, engraved after a portrait by Samuel de Wilde, shows her as Madame Morbleu in William Moncrieff's farce Monsieur Tonson at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, 20 September 1821. It was one of several portraits of the principal characters in the play published by Henry Berthoud, including one of Henry Gattie as Monsieur Morbleu, published on the 1st March 1822.
Mrs. Bland sang at various venues including the Haymarket Theatre from 1791 and Vauxhall Gardens, but she stayed with the Drury Lane Company for almost forty years. A contemporary reviewer of Monsieur Tonson credited her performance in this role, writing: 'A Frenchwoman of the old school is cleverly portrayed by Mrs. Bland, who sings a French air as charmingly as if she were sixteen.'
Mrs. Bland sang at various venues including the Haymarket Theatre from 1791 and Vauxhall Gardens, but she stayed with the Drury Lane Company for almost forty years. A contemporary reviewer of Monsieur Tonson credited her performance in this role, writing: 'A Frenchwoman of the old school is cleverly portrayed by Mrs. Bland, who sings a French air as charmingly as if she were sixteen.'
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Mrs. Bland (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | Printed ink on paper |
| Brief description | Print of the singer Maria Theresa Bland (1769-1838) as Madame Morbleu in Monsieur Tonson by William Moncrieff, Theatre Royal Drury Lane, 20 September 1821. Stipple engraving by Roger Cooper after the original by Samuel de Wilde. Published by Henry Berthoud Jnr., 20 April 1822, printed by McQueen & Co. |
| Physical description | Full-length stipple engraved portrait of Mrs Bland as Madame Morbleu standing with her right foot forward, her arms by her sides, gesturing towards the front with her right hand. She is wearing a profusely flowered headdress, a dress with a laced bodice and a shawl. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Marks and inscriptions | |
| Credit line | Acquired with the support of the Friends of the V&A |
| Object history | This print was produced as a souvenir of the popular singer Maria Theresa Bland as Madame Morbleu in Moncrieff's farce Monsieur Tonson at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, 20 September 1821. |
| Association | |
| Summary | Portraits of actors and actresses in popular productions were produced in great numbers in the 18th and 19th centuries and were sold in print shops. This represents the successful Jewish-Italian singer Maria Theresa Romanzini (1769-1838) who made her name on stage before she married the actor George Bland in 1790. This print, engraved after a portrait by Samuel de Wilde, shows her as Madame Morbleu in William Moncrieff's farce Monsieur Tonson at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, 20 September 1821. It was one of several portraits of the principal characters in the play published by Henry Berthoud, including one of Henry Gattie as Monsieur Morbleu, published on the 1st March 1822. Mrs. Bland sang at various venues including the Haymarket Theatre from 1791 and Vauxhall Gardens, but she stayed with the Drury Lane Company for almost forty years. A contemporary reviewer of Monsieur Tonson credited her performance in this role, writing: 'A Frenchwoman of the old school is cleverly portrayed by Mrs. Bland, who sings a French air as charmingly as if she were sixteen.' |
| Associated object | |
| Bibliographic reference | |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.1686-2014 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | October 13, 2014 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
