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G0171
Paintings: G0171
Title
William Dowton, Sarah Harlowe, Samuel Thomas Russell
Technique
Oil on canvas
Subject
Character
Major Sturgeon : The Mayor of Garratt
Mrs Sneak : The Mayor of Garratt
Jerry Sneak : The Mayor of Garratt
Mrs Sneak : The Mayor of Garratt
Jerry Sneak : The Mayor of Garratt
Artist
Dimensions
Height: 67cm
Width: 78.5cm
height (frame): 83.5cm
width (frame): 95cm
Width: 78.5cm
height (frame): 83.5cm
width (frame): 95cm
Provenance
Charles Mathews
Other number
Mathews 172
RW/CKA 367
RW/CKA 367
Exhibition history
1810 London, R.A. (447)
1833 London, Queen's Bazaar, Oxford Street, "Mr Mathews's Gallery of Theatrical Portraits" (172)
1950-51 London, Royal Academy, "British Painting"? (248A)
1951-52 London, Royal Academy, "The First 100 Years of the Royal Academy" (138)
The scene is Act I scene 1, Sir Jacob Jollop's house at Garrett. Sneak (Russell) stands on the left holding a black tricorn hat. He wears black shoes with gold buckles, grey stockings, black knee-breeches, a red jacket with brown buttons, white waistcoat trimmed with gold and gold buttons, and a high white stock. Mrs Sneak (Harlowe) wears a finely plumed hat with a white brim. Her white frock is decorated with a red band, gold tassels, and a blue ribbon. The Major (Dowton) wears a black tricorn hat with a cockade, black boots, red knee-breeches, a red military jacket with black panels, and a red waistcoat. He has a broad leather shoulder band, possibly for a powder horn. The 1820 Oxberry edition of the play gives slightly different costume directions. Sneak is given a "crimson coat, bordered white waistcoat and black breeches," Mrs Sneak a "blue sarsnet gown trimmed with crimson ribbon, crimson silk scarf," and the Major a "scarlet regimental coat, flowered waist-coat, scarlet breeches, black boots and gold laced hat." Patmore wrote that "The likeness and characteristic expression of Dowton are perfect; but the other two are not so good in this respect."
Garratt was a village in Surrey, near Wandsworth, where the villagers in the latter part of the 18th century made a practice of electing a ‘mayor’ when a general election took place. He acted as a sort of chairman of a local body for the defence of their rights. In the play, Sneak, surprisingly, wins the election. An election in both Garratt and Britain generally would have just taken place when Foote wrote his play in 1763, as Pitt had gone to the country because George III would not accept some of the leading Whigs. The Wilkes affair was attracting great interest. Wilkes was first arrested and released in 1763. The military references that permeate the play refer to the Seven Years War, which ended with the Treaty of Paris signed by Britain, France, and Spain on 10 February 1763. Major Sturgeon is an officer in the Middlesex militia, the butt of much humour throughout the play.
Foote's comedy was originally performed at the Haymarket on 20 June 1763, with the author as Major Sturgeon, Weston as Jerry Sneak, and Mrs Daily as Mrs Sneak. It was revived at Drury Lane on 2 February 1808, the first time for five years according to the playbill, with the same cast as shown in the picture. There were 12 performances before the end of the season, the last on 16 June 1808.
Garratt was a village in Surrey, near Wandsworth, where the villagers in the latter part of the 18th century made a practice of electing a ‘mayor’ when a general election took place. He acted as a sort of chairman of a local body for the defence of their rights. In the play, Sneak, surprisingly, wins the election. An election in both Garratt and Britain generally would have just taken place when Foote wrote his play in 1763, as Pitt had gone to the country because George III would not accept some of the leading Whigs. The Wilkes affair was attracting great interest. Wilkes was first arrested and released in 1763. The military references that permeate the play refer to the Seven Years War, which ended with the Treaty of Paris signed by Britain, France, and Spain on 10 February 1763. Major Sturgeon is an officer in the Middlesex militia, the butt of much humour throughout the play.
Foote's comedy was originally performed at the Haymarket on 20 June 1763, with the author as Major Sturgeon, Weston as Jerry Sneak, and Mrs Daily as Mrs Sneak. It was revived at Drury Lane on 2 February 1808, the first time for five years according to the playbill, with the same cast as shown in the picture. There were 12 performances before the end of the season, the last on 16 June 1808.
