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G1233
Paintings: G1233
Title
Tom King as Puff
Subject
Artist
Date
1780
Dimensions
height: 95cm
width (frame): 85cm
width (frame): 85cm
Other materials
Oil on canvas
Provenance
Bought in 2022.
Other number
E0125
This portrait, by Johann Zoffany (1733-1810), depicts the actor Thomas King (1730-1810) in the character of Puff in Sheridan's play 'The Critic'. The play was first performed on the 30th of October 1779, and this portrait marks this event. The scene depicted is Act 1, Scene 2, when Puff, a publicists, fixer and would-be playwright, explains how he operates to Dangle - a stage-door johnnie and to Sneer, a critic, with the following speech: "Mr. DODD was astonishingly great in the character of SIR HARRY! The universal and judicious actor Mr. PALMER, perhaps never appeared to more advantage than in the COLONEL:-but it is not in the power of language to do justice to Mr.KING!-Indeed he more than merited those repeated bursts of applause which he drew from a most brilliant and judicious audience!".
