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G0597
Paintings: G0597
Title
Isabella Mattocks
Technique
Oil on canvas
Subject
Character
Catherine : Catherine and Petruchio
Artist
Dimensions
Height: 73.7cm
Width: 61cm
height (frame): 85cm
width (frame): 72cm
Width: 61cm
height (frame): 85cm
width (frame): 72cm
Provenance
Thomas Harris; Harris sale, Robins 12 July 1819 (24) (as Mrs Ford); Charles Mathews
Other number
Mathews 53 (as Louisa in 'The Duenna' Quote: 'Is this your gallantry? Act I)
RW/CKA 410 (as Louisa in 'The Duenna' or as Mrs Ford)
RW/CKA 410 (as Louisa in 'The Duenna' or as Mrs Ford)
Exhibition history
1833 London, Queen's Bazaar, Oxford Street, "Mr Mathews's Gallery of Theatrical Portraits" (53)
1982-3 London, Royal Academy, "Royal Opera House Retrospective 1732-1982" (129)
Literature
“Morning Herald” 22 March 1794; Hayes 1968
Half-length. Catherine wears a jaunty black hat with pearls and plumes over powdered hair, and a white muslin dress with a green sash.
Garrick's farce, a three-act adaptation of “The Taming of the Shrew”, was first performed at Drury Lane on 21 January 1756, with Woodward as Petruchio and Kitty Clive as Catherine. It held the stage in preference to Shakespeare's original until the late 19th century. Although the character in this picture has been identified as Mrs Ford, a part Mrs Mattocks never played at Covent Garden, and as Louisa in “The Duenna”, there is no reason to doubt that the role is that mentioned in the “Morning Herald” of 24 March 1794, which was Catherine in “Catherine and Petruchio”. This was one of Mrs Mattocks's most popular roles, and she often appeared in it for the benefit of other members of the company.
Garrick's farce, a three-act adaptation of “The Taming of the Shrew”, was first performed at Drury Lane on 21 January 1756, with Woodward as Petruchio and Kitty Clive as Catherine. It held the stage in preference to Shakespeare's original until the late 19th century. Although the character in this picture has been identified as Mrs Ford, a part Mrs Mattocks never played at Covent Garden, and as Louisa in “The Duenna”, there is no reason to doubt that the role is that mentioned in the “Morning Herald” of 24 March 1794, which was Catherine in “Catherine and Petruchio”. This was one of Mrs Mattocks's most popular roles, and she often appeared in it for the benefit of other members of the company.
