John Philip Kemble by Sir Thomas Lawrence
National Portrait Gallery Acquires Painting of Great Actor
Sep 26, 2009
John Philip Kemble (1757-1823), actor, playwright and theatre manager, was reputed to be one of the finest actors of the early 19th century, often playing Shakespearean characters opposite his sister, the well-known actress, Sarah Siddons. A portrait of Kemble by Sir Thomas Lawrence, one of the finest Regency portraitists, has recently been acquired by the National Portrait Gallery.
Kemble as Cato – About the Portrait
The painting depicts Kemble as Cato in Joseph Addison’s play, of the same name, which ran at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden in 1811. The portrait shows Kemble seated alone as he delivered the soliloquy on death and the immortality of the soul. The seated pose is unusual in Lawrence's full-length portraits and rarely used in theatrical portraits. Lawrence depicts the intensity of Kemble's performance by his focused gaze and by the vivid contrast between the dark green drapery and the brilliant white of the actor's tunic.
Sir Thomas Lawrence
The English artist Sir Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830) showed such talent as a child that by the age of twelve he had his own studio. He entered the Royal Academy in 1787 and, in 1789, at the age of twenty, painted Queen Charlotte's portrait for her husband, George III. The monarch was delighted with the portrait and on the death of Sir Joshua Reynolds, in 1792, appointed Lawrence as the official royal painter.
Lawrence is known to have painted some 500 portraits, capturing the spirit of Regency high-society with vibrant colours and intricate brushwork. When the Prince Regent (King George IV, 1762-1830, Regent 1811-1819; Reigned 1820-1830) commissioned portraits of foreign leaders instrumental in the defeat of Napoleon, Lawrence's future was guaranteed. He was knighted in 1815 and became President of the Royal Academy of Arts in 1820.
History of the Portrait
Sir Lawrence considered this particular portrait to be one of his best. He first exhibited the painting at the Royal Academy of Arts in 1812 and it hung in his London house for many years. The image was granted pre-eminent heritage status by the MLA (Museums, Libraries and Archives Council).
The portrait was originally commissioned by Charles John Gardiner (2nd Viscount Mountjoy, later 1st Earl of Blessington) and hung in his home for many years. At some point he temporarily returned it to Lawrence to allow a copy to be made, which now hangs in the Garrick Club. Lawrence kept hold of the original until after Blessington's death, in 1829, when it was returned to the Estate.
John Burton Philips acquired the portrait in the 1830s and it remained with his family for almost 200 years, on display in The Heath House in Staffordshire, until its recent sale to the NPG at a price of almost £180,000. The purchase was achieved through Gallery supporters, Gift Aid Visitor ticket donations, and a grant of £55,000 from The Art Fund, an independent art charity. The Art Fund recently helped the British Museum to acquire Emiliano Zapata and his Horse (1932), by Mexican artist Diego Rivera.
John Philip Kemble as Cato will be on view at the NPG in an exhibition dedicated to Lawrence due to open on 21st October 2010. The exhibition will be on view until 23rd January 2011, and further information can be obtained from the National Portrait Gallery.
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