English School circa 1840 Oil Portrait of Sarah Siddons After Thomas Gainsborough

English School, circa 1840
Portrait of Sarah Siddons, After Thomas Gainsborough

Early Victorian Oil Portrait After Gainsborough’s Celebrated 1785 Portrait of the Actress

Highlights

• Fine early Victorian English School portrait of the celebrated actress Sarah Siddons, née Kemble, 1755-1831.

• Painted circa 1840 after Thomas Gainsborough’s celebrated 1785 portrait.

• Oil on millboard.

• An accomplished 19th-century interpretation of one of the great portraits of British theatrical history.

• Siddons portrayed in her distinctive feathered black hat, blue striped gown, golden-yellow mantle and fur muff.

• Historic GEO Rowney & Co, Rathbone Place, London association.

• Provenance through Northern Shire Antiques & Fine Art.

• Exhibited at the Lord Hill Museum.

• Newly presented in an ornate Larson-Juhl gilt frame.

• AR70 museum-grade protective glazing.

• Curated by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®.

• Supplied with a Certificate of Sale & Dealer Attribution from Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®.

Introduction

A refined early Victorian English School oil portrait depicting Sarah Siddons, née Kemble (1755-1831), the legendary British tragedienne and one of the most celebrated actresses of the Georgian stage.

Painted circa 1840, the work is a 19th-century interpretation after Thomas Gainsborough’s celebrated 1785 portrait of Sarah Siddons, now in the National Gallery, London.

Rather than portraying Siddons in theatrical character, the composition presents her as a commanding woman of culture and social distinction. She sits in composed profile wearing a striking black feathered hat, blue striped gown, golden-yellow mantle and fur muff, her imposing costume balanced by the delicacy of her expression.

The painting offers an appealing intersection between British portraiture and theatrical history, preserving through a later hand one of the defining images of perhaps the most famous tragic actress of her generation.

Catalogue Details

Artist: English School

Title: Portrait of Sarah Siddons

Date: Circa 1840

Period: Early Victorian

Medium: Oil on millboard

Attribution: After Thomas Gainsborough, 1727-1788

Original Composition: Thomas Gainsborough’s Mrs Siddons, 1785

Sitter: Sarah Siddons, née Kemble, 1755-1831

Signature: Apparently unsigned

Frame: Later Larson-Juhl gilt frame

Glazing: AR70 museum-grade protective glass

Catalogue Note

The composition follows Gainsborough’s celebrated portrait of Sarah Siddons, presenting the actress seated against a dark reddish-brown background and turned elegantly to one side.

Siddons wears a lustrous blue striped gown beneath a golden-yellow mantle. Her dramatic black hat, ornamented with sweeping feathers, creates a striking silhouette, while the fur muff resting in her lap introduces another richly contrasting texture.

The palette is restrained yet sumptuous. Deep blues, golden ochres and warm reddish-brown tones surround the sitter’s lighter complexion, directing attention towards the face while maintaining the theatrical grandeur of the composition.

The painter has approached the fabrics and accessories with comparatively broad, fluid handling, while the face is more softly modelled. Contrasts between silk, fur, feather and flesh contribute substantially to the visual richness of the portrait.

Although dependent upon Gainsborough’s original composition, the work possesses the character of a 19th-century interpretation rather than being presented as a work by Gainsborough himself.

Its circa 1840 date is also significant. Sarah Siddons had died only in 1831, and her reputation remained exceptionally strong during the early Victorian period. Portraits such as this participated in the preservation of her image for a later generation that regarded her as one of the defining personalities of the British stage.

The Sitter

Sarah Siddons, née Kemble, 1755-1831, was one of the most celebrated tragic actresses in the history of the British theatre.

Born into the distinguished Kemble theatrical family, she developed a formidable reputation for tragic roles and became particularly associated with Shakespearean heroines, most famously Lady Macbeth.

Her emotional intensity, commanding stage presence and remarkable voice attracted audiences from across British society and earned her extraordinary celebrity.

Siddons also occupied an unusual cultural position for an actress of her period. Beyond the theatre, her public image became associated with dignity, intelligence and respectability, contributing to her status as both performer and cultural icon.

Gainsborough’s portrait is particularly important because it presents Siddons not as a theatrical character but as an elegant contemporary woman whose commanding personality provides the drama.

The present early Victorian interpretation perpetuates that celebrated image and reflects Siddons’s enduring reputation after her death.

After Thomas Gainsborough

Thomas Gainsborough, 1727-1788, was one of the foremost British painters of the 18th century and a defining figure in the development of British portraiture.

His portraits combined fashionable elegance with fluid painterly handling, psychological sensitivity and an exceptional ability to render costume, fabric and atmosphere.

Gainsborough painted Sarah Siddons in 1785 at the height of her fame. The resulting portrait became one of the defining images of the actress and remains among the best-known works associated with her.

The present painting was executed by an unidentified English artist during the 19th century and follows Gainsborough’s composition. It is therefore catalogued as English School, circa 1840, after Thomas Gainsborough, clearly distinguishing the work from Gainsborough’s original.

Provenance

Private collection.

GEO Rowney & Co, Rathbone Place, London association.

Northern Shire Antiques & Fine Art.

Exhibited at the Lord Hill Museum.

Subsequently curated and presented by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®.

Dimensions

Framed:

41 cm high x 34 cm wide x 2 cm deep

The portrait is ready for display.

Frame and Presentation

The painting is presented in a newly fitted ornate Larson-Juhl frame finished in gold foil with a sculpted reserve profile sympathetic to the historic character of the portrait.

It is protected by newly fitted AR70 museum-grade glazing, providing enhanced clarity together with protection appropriate for long-term display.

Condition Report

The work remains structurally sound and presents attractively.

Age-related craquelure and areas of foxing or staining are visible, consistent with the painting’s age and historic support.

Areas of previous paint retouching are visible principally around the outer edges of the background. These interventions do not significantly detract from the sitter’s principal facial features or the overall integrity of the composition.

The surface retains good colour, texture and visual presence.

The later Larson-Juhl frame and museum-grade glazing present very well.

Please examine all photographs carefully, as they form an integral part of the condition report. Additional photographs and further information are available upon request.

Shipping

Worldwide shipping is available.

The portrait will be professionally packaged with particular attention given to protecting the painting, frame and museum-grade glazing and will be fully insured for transit.

Certificate of Sale & Dealer Attribution

The artwork will be supplied with a Certificate of Sale & Dealer Attribution issued by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®, recording the artwork’s catalogue details, attribution, provenance as stated, and details of the sale. This document accompanies the work as part of its ongoing ownership and provenance record.

Attribution and Research

The historical observations, provenance research, attribution analysis and contextual commentary presented within this catalogue entry represent the professional opinion of Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®. They are offered in good faith as informed scholarly assessments based upon the available evidence, comparative research, published reference material and our experience within the international fine art market.

These observations should be understood as professional opinions rather than definitive statements of fact or guarantees of authorship, attribution, date, origin, provenance or historical interpretation. As with all historic works of art, future documentary discoveries, technical examination, conservation analysis or advances in academic research may refine, expand or revise current interpretations.

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Specialising in carefully curated British and European fine art, antiques and historic works of art.

Every artwork is professionally researched and catalogued using comparative scholarship, published reference material and more than two decades of experience within the international fine art market. We are committed to offering collectors works of artistic and historical merit accompanied by transparent provenance research, detailed catalogue descriptions and professional, client-focused service.

Additional photographs and further information are available upon request.