Antique Image of the Day: Lionel Brough as Touchstone in "As You Like It," c. 1860

Lionel Brough as "Touchstone"
English, c. 1860
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This photograph of Nineteenth-Century, English Shakespearean actor Lionel Brough as shows the performer as “Touchstone” in “As You Like It,” and dates to about 1860. Produced during a time when photography was considered a novelty, this image is the sort which Victorian actors and actresses would have taken either in their street clothes or in costume. These albumen prints made from glass images were a popular entertainment, first as smaller cartes de visite (1854), and, then, as cabinet cards.

This carte de visite was part of the huge and important collection of Guy Tristram Little (d.1953), a lawyer and collector of ephemera, who bequeathed the lot to the V&A.

I just bet you can’t guess why I like it.

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: A Porcelain Figure of William Shakespeare, 1765

William Shakespeare
Derby Porcelain
1765
The Victoria & Albert Museum

When I first saw this Derby porcelain figure from about 1765 in the collection of the V&A, I didn’t immediately recognize it as William Shakespeare (1564-1616). The modern idea of Shakespeare’s countenance has developed over time and is based on hundreds of different representations of the celebrated writer. What he exactly looked like, we’ll never really know. This is but one interpretation of Shakespeare—rendered almost one hundred sixty years after his death.

This figurine of “The Bard” is based on the life-size white marble statue by Peter Scheemakers in the monument designed by William Kent, erected in Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey. The monument was erected in 1740, 124 years after Shakespeare's death. It was sponsored by the Earl of Burlington, Dr Mead, Alexander Pope and one Mr. Martin. It’s important to note that William Shakespeare is not buried in Poet’s Corner in the Abbey, but is, rather, buried in Stratford upon Avon though many suggested that his remains should be moved from Stratford to Westminster Abbey. That idea was abandoned after awhile and the monument remains just that—a monument and not a tomb.

We see Shakespeare depicted as pointing to a scroll which is inscribed with Prospero's Act IV lines from The Tempest:The Cloud capt Tow’rs, The Gorgeous Palaces, The Solemn Temples, 
The Great Globe itself, Yea all which it Inherit, Shall Dissolve; 
And like the baseless Fabrick of a Vision, Leave not a wrack behind. 

The scroll rests on a pedestal which is adorned with the carved heads of Queen Elizabeth I, Henry V and Richard III.

This handsome figure is the work of the Derby factory which produced three versions of the figurine in the late 1750s to mid-1760s. It was often sold as a pair with a figure of John Milton.

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: 'Puck', Harriet Goodhue Hosmer (1856)

Puck
Harriet Hosmer, 1855
The Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool

The mischievous sprite of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Puck, has inspired many an artist for centuries. This sculpture of “Puck” was sculptor Harriet Hosmer's most popular work. She created the first version of the subject between 1855 and 1856. This version was followed by about thirty marble replicas that were said to have brought the sculptor a profit of over 30,000 dollars.


One of these Pucks was purchased in 1859 by the Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VII). Here, we see that version. It was purchased from the family to whom King Edward VII had gifted the piece by the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool in 1976.

Hosmer was the pupil of John Gibson is remembered as the leading figure among an important group of American women sculptors working in Rome in the second half of the 19th century. The figure of Puck is an excellent example of the two facets of her talent—the playful and the classical.

Sculpture of the Day: A Porcelain Figure of William Shakespeare, 1765

William Shakespeare
Derby Porcelain
1765
The Victoria & Albert Museum

When I first saw this Derby porcelain figure from about 1765 in the collection of the V&A, I didn’t immediately recognize it as William Shakespeare (1564-1616). The modern idea of Shakespeare’s countenance has developed over time and is based on hundreds of different representations of the celebrated writer. What he exactly looked like, we’ll never really know. This is but one interpretation of Shakespeare—rendered almost one hundred sixty years after his death.

This figurine of “The Bard” is based on the life-size white marble statue by Peter Scheemakers in the monument designed by William Kent, erected in Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey. The monument was erected in 1740, 124 years after Shakespeare's death. It was sponsored by the Earl of Burlington, Dr Mead, Alexander Pope and one Mr. Martin. It’s important to note that William Shakespeare is not buried in Poet’s Corner in the Abbey, but is, rather, buried in Stratford upon Avon though many suggested that his remains should be moved from Stratford to Westminster Abbey. That idea was abandoned after awhile and the monument remains just that—a monument and not a tomb.

We see Shakespeare depicted as pointing to a scroll which is inscribed with Prospero's Act IV lines from The Tempest:
The Cloud capt Tow’rs, The Gorgeous Palaces, The Solemn Temples, 
The Great Globe itself, Yea all which it Inherit, Shall Dissolve; 
And like the baseless Fabrick of a Vision, Leave not a wrack behind. 

The scroll rests on a pedestal which is adorned with the carved heads of Queen Elizabeth I, Henry V and Richard III.

This handsome figure is the work of the Derby factory which produced three versions of the figurine in the late 1750s to mid-1760s. It was often sold as a pair with a figure of John Milton.

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: Henry V Trying on the Crown, 1847

Henry V Trying on the Crown
Staffordshire, 1847
The Victoria  Albert Museum

"Flatbacks," as they are known for the shape of their backs, and Earthenware figurines for mantelpiece decoration by Staffordshire became popular in the mid-1830s. We’ve looked at the earliest datable figures by Staffordshire—those of Queen Victoria—and we’ve seen that until about 1905 many figures were produced of popular people and scenes representing a wide variety of subjects. 

This figure dates to 1847 and depicts Henry V trying on the crown. This, obviously, is meant to mimic a scene of Henry V from the play which bears his name. According to the V&A, “Although the play Henry V was staged in the early 19th century, by Macready in 1819 and Kean in 1830 and 1839, who both starred as the King, we do not know if this figurine represents any specific actor.”

Clearly, however, the figure is modeled on an engraving which itself was based on a painting that had been displayed at the Westminster Hall in 1847. The painting was John Calcott Horsley's painting Henry V and showed the moment when the Prince of Wales, believing the King to be Dead, takes the crown from the cushion and places it on his head.

Of course, much drama ensued. However, this quiet figurine exists simply to look lovely and does a fine job of it.

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: Hogarth's Richard III, 1840

Staffordshire Flatback
David Garrick as Richard III
Based on the painting by Hogarth
The Victoria & Albert Museum

The recent discovery of the bones of the misunderstood monarch, Richard III makes this porcelain figure all the more interesting.  Here, we see a glazed earthenware flatback figure of David Garrick as Richard III. He is seated in a white tent, wearing a green coat with a textured “ermine” border with gilt details on both the tent and on his costume.

These earthenware flatbacks and figurines were designed as mantelpiece decorations, and, as we know, were first produced in Staffordshire in the late 1830s—originally with figures of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. As the decades passed, and the figures became more popular, they were created in a wide range of popular subjects ranging from the Royal to the theatrical.

This flatback of celebrated actor David Garrick as Richard III depicts the famous tent scene before the Battle of Bosworth, when Richard is haunted by the ghosts of those he had murdered. The composition was modeled after a painting from 1745 by William Hogarth. I like that the V&A has pointed out, “In the painting his hand is raised in a gesture of horror and not the rather benign royal wave it appears to be in the flatback.”

Just a biographical note on David Garrick (1717-1779)—he was recognized as one of the greatest actors ever in both comedy and tragedy. Born in Hereford, Garrick came to London in 1737 to work as a wine merchant but made his London debut as an actor at Goodman's Fields as Richard III in 1741. Later, he managed the Theatre Royal Drury Lane from 1747 until 1776.

Painting of the Day: Queen Katherine and Patience, 1842

Queen Katherine and Patience
Robert Charles Leslie
1842

The popularity of historically-themed paintings began to wane during the Nineteenth Century and was soon replaced by an increase in commissions for oil paintings based on scenes from popular literature. Very often, history and literature overlapped. Here’s one such instance.


Charles Robert Leslie was one of the most prolific painters of the Victorian era and was a favorite of Queen Victoria herself. In this canvas from 1842, Leslie depicts Act III, Scene 1 from Henry VIII by William Shakespeare which was obviously based on the portly regent’s life. The painting shows Henry's first wife, Katherine of Aragon (Shakespeare's “Queen Katharine”), as she bemoans Henry’s growing estrangement. When the painting was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1842, Leslie included a quotation from the play.

Leslie’s representation of Queen Katherine was not strictly archaeological. In fact, as he did with most of his paintings, he combined the visual aspects and costumes of several periods. The depiction of Queen Katherine owes more to 1842’s fashions than it does the style of her own time, but her sense of distress is not hampered by her anachronistic costume. 

History's Runway: A Costume from "A Midsummer Night's Dream," 1914

Theatre Costume
1914
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Naturally, some of the most unusual and interesting historical clothing that still remains are pieces which were designed for theatrical use. Here we see a theatre costume of a dress of white crêpe-de-chine. The skirt is stenciled with sprays of pink flowers and weighted with a fringe of tiny silver balls. Cap sleeves, a deep V-neck with a silver lamé infill at the base and gold ball buttons create an ethereal look. The tunic is gathered at the bust with a thin gold cord belt ending in golf briolettes and red beads. A deep macramé fringe, decorated at the top with small red beads completes the outfit.

This costume was commissioned by Harley Granville Barker (1877-1946) who was an established director and promoter of contemporary drama, directing three of Shakespeare's plays at the Savoy Theatre--The Winter's Tale, Twelfth Night (both 1912) and A Midsummer Night's Dream (1914). Barker did away with historical costume, inviting his designer, Norman Wilkinson (1882-1934), to create simple stylized period dress without attempting to imitate it.

This gown comes from Barker's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. The play's mortal characters wore costumes loosely based on Grecian dress while the fairies and ethereal characters wore sparkling costumes to match their gilded faces. Barker's then wife, Lillah McCarthy, played Helena, and for her first scene, she appeared in this dress of white crêpe-de-chine with mauve shoes and red beads. Helena's long blonde wig was adorned with a wreath of flowers.

Antique Image of the Day: Lionel Brough as Touchstone in "As You Like It," c. 1860

Lionel Brough as "Touchstone"
English, c. 1860
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This photograph of Nineteenth-Century, English Shakespearean actor Lionel Brough as shows the performer as “Touchstone” in “As You Like It,” and dates to about 1860. Produced during a time when photography was considered a novelty, this image is the sort which Victorian actors and actresses would have taken either in their street clothes or in costume. These albumen prints made from glass images were a popular entertainment, first as smaller cartes de visite (1854), and, then, as cabinet cards.

This carte de visite was part of the huge and important collection of Guy Tristram Little (d.1953), a lawyer and collector of ephemera, who bequeathed the lot to the V&A.

I just bet you can’t guess why I like it.

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: 'Puck', Harriet Goodhue Hosmer (1856)

Puck
Harriet Hosmer, 1855
The Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool

The mischievous sprite of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Puck, has inspired many an artist for centuries.   This sculpture of “Puck” was sculptor Harriet Hosmer's most popular work. She created the first version of the subject between 1855  and 1856.  This version  was followed by  about thirty marble replicas that were said to have brought the sculptor a profit of over 30,000 dollars.

One of these Pucks was purchased in 1859 by the Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VII).  Here, we see that version.  It was purchased from the family to whom King Edward VII had gifted the piece by the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool in 1976.

Hosmer was the pupil of John Gibson is remembered as the leading figure among an important group of American women sculptors working in Rome in the second half of the 19th century.   The figure of Puck is an excellent example of the two facets of her talent—the playful and the classical.

Sculpture of the Day: Edmund Kean as Richard III, 1840

Figure, 1840
The Victoria & Albert Museum

We’ve seen another Staffordshire figure of Richard III which was based on a painting by William Hogarth of David Garrick playing the role in the play by William Shakespeare. Here, we see a figure of the great English actor-manager Edmund Kean (1787-1833) in the title role of Shakespeare's Richard III. Kean first played Richard III at Drury Lane Theatre in 1814 and it became one of his most celebrated roles, along with Macbeth and Iago. The poet Coleridge commented that watching Kean act was like “reading Shakespeare by flashes of lightning.”


This glazed figure of Edmund Kean as Richard III. He stands with his legs apart, his weight on his left leg with the knee bent. He is looking to his right, wearing white breeches striped in gold, a white breast-plate delineated with gold, and a knee-length cloak lined in orange and edged with a white border which is meant to simulate ermine. The figure is said to accurately reproduce the costume worn by Kean as Richard III.

Sculpture of the Day: Hogarth's Richard III, 1840

Staffordshire Flatback
David Garrick as Richard III
Based on the painting by Hogarth
The Victoria & Albert Museum

I just saw one of these on a recent antiquing excursion with my parents. Here, we see a glazed earthenware flatback figure of David Garrick as Richard III. He is seated in a white tent, wearing a green coat with a textured “ermine” border with gilt details on both the tent and on his costume.

These earthenware flatbacks and figurines were designed as mantelpiece decorations, and, as we know, were first produced in Staffordshire in the late 1830s—originally with figures of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. As the decades passed, and the figures became more popular, they were created in a wide range of popular subjects ranging from the Royal to the theatrical.

This flatback of celebrated actor David Garrick as Richard III depicts the famous tent scene before the Battle of Bosworth, when Richard is haunted by the ghosts of those he had murdered. The composition was modeled after a painting from 1745 by William Hogarth. I like that the V&A has pointed out, “In the painting his hand is raised in a gesture of horror and not the rather benign royal wave it appears to be in the flatback.”

Just a biographical note on David Garrick (1717-1779)—he was recognized as one of the greatest actors ever in both comedy and tragedy. Born in Hereford, Garrick came to London in 1737 to work as a wine merchant but made his London debut as an actor at Goodman's Fields as Richard III in 1741. Later, he managed the Theatre Royal Drury Lane from 1747 until 1776.

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: Henry V Trying on the Crown, 1847

Henry V Trying on the Crown
Staffordshire, 1847
The Victoria  Albert Museum

"Flatbacks," as they are known for the shape of their backs, and Earthenware figurines for mantelpiece decoration by Staffordshire became popular in the mid-1830s. We’ve looked at the earliest datable figures by Staffordshire—those of Queen Victoria—and we’ve seen that until about 1905 many figures were produced of popular people and scenes representing a wide variety of subjects.
This figure dates to 1847 and depicts Henry V trying on the crown. This, obviously, is meant to mimic a scene of Henry V from the play which bears his name. According to the V&A, “Although the play Henry V was staged in the early 19th century, by Macready in 1819 and Kean in 1830 and 1839, who both starred as the King, we do not know if this figurine represents any specific actor.”

Clearly, however, the figure is modeled on an engraving which itself was based on a painting that had been displayed at the Westminster Hall in 1847. The painting was John Calcott Horsley's painting Henry V and showed the moment when the Prince of Wales, believing the King to be Dead, takes the crown from the cushion and places it on his head.

Of course, much drama ensued. However, this quiet figurine exists simply to look lovely and does a fine job of it.

Gratuitous Bertie Dog Picture: The Merry Wives of Bertie

“You’re in my light.”

Click Image Above to Enlarge

Image: Slender and Anne Page, Sir Augustus Wall Callcott, based on Act 1, Scene 1 of Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor, 1800-1844, The Victoria & Albert Museum

Sculpture of the Day: A Porcelain Figure of William Shakespeare, 1765

William Shakespeare
Derby Porcelain
1765
The Victoria & Albert Museum

When I first saw this Derby porcelain figure from about 1765 in the collection of the V&A, I didn’t immediately recognize it as William Shakespeare (1564-1616). The modern idea of Shakespeare’s countenance has developed over time and is based on hundreds of different representations of the celebrated writer. What he exactly looked like, we’ll never really know. This is but one interpretation of Shakespeare—rendered almost one hundred sixty years after his death.

This figurine of “The Bard” is based on the life-size white marble statue by Peter Scheemakers in the monument designed by William Kent, erected in Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey. The monument was erected in 1740, 124 years after Shakespeare's death. It was sponsored by the Earl of Burlington, Dr Mead, Alexander Pope and one Mr. Martin. It’s important to note that William Shakespeare is not buried in Poet’s Corner in the Abbey, but is, rather, buried in Stratford upon Avon though many suggested that his remains should be moved from Stratford to Westminster Abbey. That idea was abandoned after awhile and the monument remains just that—a monument and not a tomb.

We see Shakespeare depicted as pointing to a scroll which is inscribed with Prospero's Act IV lines from The Tempest:

The Cloud capt Tow’rs, The Gorgeous Palaces, The Solemn Temples,
The Great Globe itself, Yea all which it Inherit, Shall Dissolve;
And like the baseless Fabrick of a Vision, Leave not a wrack behind.

The scroll rests on a pedestal which is adorned with the carved heads of Queen Elizabeth I, Henry V and Richard III.

This handsome figure is the work of the Derby factory which produced three versions of the figurine in the late 1750s to mid-1760s. It was often sold as a pair with a figure of John Milton.

Painting of the Day: Queen Katherine and Patience, 1842

Queen Katherine and Patience
Robert Charles Leslie
1842

The popularity of historically-themed paintings began to wane during the Nineteenth Century and was soon replaced by an increase in commissions for oil paintings based on scenes from popular literature. Very often, history and literature overlapped. Here’s one such instance.


Charles Robert Leslie was one of the most prolific painters of the Victorian era and was a favorite of Queen Victoria herself. In this canvas from 1842, Leslie depicts Act III, Scene 1 from Henry VIII by William Shakespeare which was obviously based on the portly regent’s life. The painting shows Henry's first wife, Katherine of Aragon (Shakespeare's “Queen Katharine”), as she bemoans Henry’s growing estrangement. When the painting was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1842, Leslie included a quotation from the play.

Leslie’s representation of Queen Katherine was not strictly archaeological. In fact, as he did with most of his paintings, he combined the visual aspects and costumes of several periods. The depiction of Queen Katherine owes more to 1842’s fashions than it does the style of her own time, but her sense of distress is not hampered by her anachronistic costume.

Object of the Day: A Scene from Macbeth by Alexander Johnston, 1877

This expertly rendered steel plate engraving by G. Bertinot dates to 1877 and is based on an original painting by Alexander Johnston (1815-1891). The scene shows the exact moment in Shakespeare’s Macbeth when the title character appears to his wife in Act II, stating, “I have done the deed. Didst thou not hear a noise?”


The painter, Johnston, famously depicted several scenes from “the Scottish play.” His work is defined by its crisp detail and theatrical lighting. Johnston worked with the engraving to produce a work that accurately reflects the depth and meticulous detail of the original. Such scenes by Johnston have often found their way into books of Shakespeare’s work, however, those later reproductions lack the sharpness of the earlier engraved printings. This engraving was purchased at Forestwood Antiques from Yvette Inness who offers a wide variety of antique engravings in remarkable condition.