Anon. Madame Vestris with Mandolin
An original c.1830 watercolour painting Madame Vestris with Mandolin.
An exquisite three-quarter length portrait miniature of the actress and opera singer Lucia Elizabeth Vestris (1797–1856). Madame Vestris, as she was known, used the fortune she amassed from her performances to lease the Olympic Theatre in London, and she became a noted theatre producer and manager. Her success in running the business, employing hundreds of men and women business, was exceptional for a woman of her day and she is a prominent figure in the history of British theatre.
She was the granddaughter of the noted Italian engraver Francesco Bartolozzi.
This painting, intensely coloured and finely detailed, pictures Madame Vestris with a mandolin, celebrating her talent as a musical performer.
With gum arabic to intensify the colour.
Dimensions: Height: 11.6cm (4.57") Width: 9cm (3.54")
Presented: Unframed.
Medium: Watercolour
Age: Early 19th-century
Signed: No.
Inscribed: The picture is accompanied by an inscription on a separate fragment of paper.
Dated: --
Condition: In very good condition for its age. There are historic adhesive marks and/or paper remnants to the edges on the verso, from previous mounting. Please see photos for detail.
Stock number: JT-013
