Exhibition: National Portrait Gallery - The First Actresses: Nell Gwyn to Sarah Siddons
(Mrs Robinson as ‘Perdita’ by John Hoppner)
“The First Actresses will explore the vibrant and sometimes controversial relationship between art, gender and the theatre in eighteenth-century England. Combining much-loved masterpieces with newly-discovered works, the exhibition will look at the ways in which actresses used portraiture to enhance their reputations, deflect scandal and increase their popularity and professional status.
The exhibition features portraits by artists such as Joshua Reynolds, Thomas Gainsborough, John Hoppner and James Gillray, with highlights including Reynolds’s famous portrait of Sarah Siddons as the Tragic Muse, Hogarth’s TheBeggar’s Opera andGainsborough’s portrait of Elizabeth Linley. Visitors will discover the fascinating stories of actresses including Nell Gwyn, Kitty Clive, Hester Booth, Lavinia Fenton, Sarah Siddons and Dorothy Jordan.” (keep reading)
Be sure to check out this exhibition from October 20, 2011 - January 8, 2012 at the National Portrait Gallery in London.
