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G0236
Paintings: G0236
Title
David Garrick
Technique
Oil on panel
Subject
Character
Don John : Chances
Artist
Dimensions
Height: 35cm
Width: 28cm
height (frame): 49cm
width (frame): 42cm
Width: 28cm
height (frame): 49cm
width (frame): 42cm
Provenance
Charles Mathews
Other number
Mathews 95
RW/CKA 280
RW/CKA 280
Exhibition history
1833 London, Queen's Bazaar, Oxford Street, "Mr Mathews's Gallery of Theatrical Portraits" (95)
1989 Cambridge The Fitzwilliam Museum, "Technology, Colour and Style: George Field and his Circle"
1997 London, Dulwich Picture Gallery, "Dramatic Art
Theatrical Paintings from the Garrick Club" (4)
Related works
Theatre Museum (TM9), oil on panel 46x68.6 insr: "P.I. de Loutherbourg" (b. r.), exh: 1774 R.A. (163) "Mr Garrick, in the character of Don John, with a view of Naples, by moon-light" (Engr: Charles Phillips 1775, etching, a version that shows Garrick in a ruined building; also by Phillips 1776); M&M 12, oil on canvas 46x68.5; V&A P.46-1935, pencil and watercolour on laid paper 29.7x40.9, inscr: "P.I. de Loutherbourg 1774"; BM E.e. 3-87, pencil on laid paper 25.1x20, perhaps a tracing of the Phillips engraving
Engraving history
Hall after Edwards for Lowndes's "New English Theatre" pub. T. Lowndes & Partners 16 September 1777, line 13x8.9 [see P0238 and PM0253]
Literature
Patmore, p.268
Don John has just been presented, surprisingly and mistakenly, with an unknown baby whilst wandering through the streets of Naples. He rushes across the stage with the baby, wrapped in a red shawl, on his left arm. He wears a plumed black hat, black shoes with silver bows, silver hose, blue-gray breeches slashed over thighs to reveal white, a blue jacket with upper sleeves slashed to reveal white, and a yellow waistcoat, buttoned up the front with silver buttons and edged with silver braid. The moonlit marine scene has boats to the right and a wrought-iron lamp. Light streams out of an open door on the left, not visible in this version of the picture. Quoted on the engraving is Don John's line "What have I got by this now? - a Child."
Garrick's adaptation of “The Chances” was first given at Drury Lane on 7 November 1754, with Garrick as Don John. His last performance of the part occurred on 13 April 1758 although the play was revived for a single performance on 22 April 1772 when Cautherley played the role for his benefit. De Loutherbourg had joined the Drury Lane company at the end of 1772, and may have been involved in the designing of scenery for the play. The emphasis on the view of Naples in the R. A. catalogue entry for his portrait of Garrick as Don John suggests that the scenery was as important a consideration as the actor.
The portrait was exhibited with a pendant, showing Garrick as Richard III in a similar moonlit setting (R. A. 1774 [166] oil on panel 43.2 x 64.8 Christie's 20 February 1925 [73]). The Garrick Club version of the single figure may relate to the Lowndes engraving, but is seems more likely that both derive from the original work.
Garrick's adaptation of “The Chances” was first given at Drury Lane on 7 November 1754, with Garrick as Don John. His last performance of the part occurred on 13 April 1758 although the play was revived for a single performance on 22 April 1772 when Cautherley played the role for his benefit. De Loutherbourg had joined the Drury Lane company at the end of 1772, and may have been involved in the designing of scenery for the play. The emphasis on the view of Naples in the R. A. catalogue entry for his portrait of Garrick as Don John suggests that the scenery was as important a consideration as the actor.
The portrait was exhibited with a pendant, showing Garrick as Richard III in a similar moonlit setting (R. A. 1774 [166] oil on panel 43.2 x 64.8 Christie's 20 February 1925 [73]). The Garrick Club version of the single figure may relate to the Lowndes engraving, but is seems more likely that both derive from the original work.
