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G0411
Paintings: G0411
Title
Thomas Knight
Technique
Oil on canvas
Subject
Character
Farmer Harrow : The Ghost; or The Devil to Do About Her
Artist
Dimensions
Height: 63cm
Width: 50.5cm
height (frame): 78cm
width (frame): 65cm
Width: 50.5cm
height (frame): 78cm
width (frame): 65cm
Provenance
Artist's sale, Robins 9 May 1811 (88) (Knight as the Countryman in`The Ghost') bt. Mathews for 22 gns.; Charles Mathews
Other number
Mathews 64 (as Roger)
RW/CKA 116 (as Roger)
RW/CKA 116 (as Roger)
Exhibition history
1796 London, R. A. (110) "Mr. Knight as the Clown in the farce of the Ghost"
1833 London, Queen's Bazaar, Oxford Street, "Mr Mathews's Gallery of Theatrical Portraits" (64)
1950-1 London, Royal Academy, "British Painting" (?) (257)
1951-2 London, Royal Academy, "The First 100 Years of the Royal Academy, 1769-1868" (147)
1977 London, NPG, "Johan Zoffany, 1733-1810" (109)
Literature
Fitzgerald, p. 169
In Act II, "The Street before Mr. Trusty's door," Farmer Harrow "comes out of the house with a pitchfork on his shoulder, and a lanthorn in his hand." Sir Jeffrey, whom the Farmer believes to have died, arrives to check his affairs and knocks at Trusty's door. Trusty opens it and screams, thinking he has seen a ghost. Dolly, Trusty's maid, screams from an upstairs window that Sir Jeffrey is a ghost, and the Farmer "takes his pitchfork off his shoulder and holds it at Sir Jeffrey." Sir Jeffrey eventually proves that he is very much alive.
The Farmer is dressed as a rustic, with white smock and red neckerchief. He has black shoes with gold buckles and grey stockings. Knight's blue eyes and ginger hair offer a contrast to the white smock.
Mrs Centlivre's “The Man's Bewitched” of 1709 was adapted anonymously and given as The “Ghost; or, The Dead Man Alive” at Drury Lane on 10 April 1769, when John Moody played Roger (as the character was then called). The play was re-adapted and given at Covent Garden on 23 April 1783 as “The Ghost; or, The Devil to Do About Her”, with John Quick playing the new part of Farmer Harrow. On 28 August 1787 another re-adaptation was given at the Haymarket, this time called “The Ghost; or, The Man Bewitch'd”, with the new part of Farmer Hodge played by John Edwin. The 1769 version was given at Drury Lane on 21 and 25 Jan 1793, with J. Bannister playing Roger. The performance painted by Zoffany was one of three that occurred at Covent Garden in 1795-96 (19 October, and 4 and 6 January) in which Knight acted Farmer Harrow.
The Farmer is dressed as a rustic, with white smock and red neckerchief. He has black shoes with gold buckles and grey stockings. Knight's blue eyes and ginger hair offer a contrast to the white smock.
Mrs Centlivre's “The Man's Bewitched” of 1709 was adapted anonymously and given as The “Ghost; or, The Dead Man Alive” at Drury Lane on 10 April 1769, when John Moody played Roger (as the character was then called). The play was re-adapted and given at Covent Garden on 23 April 1783 as “The Ghost; or, The Devil to Do About Her”, with John Quick playing the new part of Farmer Harrow. On 28 August 1787 another re-adaptation was given at the Haymarket, this time called “The Ghost; or, The Man Bewitch'd”, with the new part of Farmer Hodge played by John Edwin. The 1769 version was given at Drury Lane on 21 and 25 Jan 1793, with J. Bannister playing Roger. The performance painted by Zoffany was one of three that occurred at Covent Garden in 1795-96 (19 October, and 4 and 6 January) in which Knight acted Farmer Harrow.
