Mrs Abington as Estifania in Rule a Wife and Have a Wife
Print
20th May 1776 (published)
20th May 1776 (published)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Frances Abington (1737-1815) first played the role of the servant Estifania in John Fletcher's comedy Rule a Wife and Have a Wife at Drury Lane Theatre, on 1st March 1770, in David Garrick's company. Thomas King played the 'Copper Captain' Michael Perez, while Garrick played Leon. Mrs Abington went on to become the most famous Estifania since Anne Oldfield, and played it again in 1784 to the Perez of Willliam Thomas Lewis, when the play re-entered the repertoire of Covent Garden Theatre.
This engraving by Roberts was published between 1776 and 1778 in the first edition of Bell's British Theatre - volumes of plays published with frontispiece portraits of actors and actresses, by the British publisher and bookseller John Bell (1745-1831).
This engraving by Roberts was published between 1776 and 1778 in the first edition of Bell's British Theatre - volumes of plays published with frontispiece portraits of actors and actresses, by the British publisher and bookseller John Bell (1745-1831).
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Mrs Abington as Estifania in <i>Rule a Wife and Have a Wife</i> (named collection) |
| Materials and techniques | Engraving, print |
| Brief description | Full length portrait of Mrs Frances Abington as Estifania in Rule a Wife and Have a Wife by John Fletcher. Engraving by J. Roberts for Bell's British Theatre, published 20th May 1776. Harry Beard Collection |
| Physical description | Full length portrait of Mrs Abington as Estifania in Rule a Wife and Have a Wife, with the quote from the play printed below: 'Here's a chain of whiting's eyes for pearls/ A mussell monger would have made a better.' |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Harry R. Beard Collection, given by Isobel Beard |
| Subject depicted | |
| Literary reference | Rule a Wife Have a Wife |
| Summary | Frances Abington (1737-1815) first played the role of the servant Estifania in John Fletcher's comedy Rule a Wife and Have a Wife at Drury Lane Theatre, on 1st March 1770, in David Garrick's company. Thomas King played the 'Copper Captain' Michael Perez, while Garrick played Leon. Mrs Abington went on to become the most famous Estifania since Anne Oldfield, and played it again in 1784 to the Perez of Willliam Thomas Lewis, when the play re-entered the repertoire of Covent Garden Theatre. This engraving by Roberts was published between 1776 and 1778 in the first edition of Bell's British Theatre - volumes of plays published with frontispiece portraits of actors and actresses, by the British publisher and bookseller John Bell (1745-1831). |
| Associated object | S.1435-2013 (Object) |
| Other number | F.29-38 - H Beard collection numbering |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.571-2009 |
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| Record created | January 9, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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