Dimensions: support: 2540 x 1480 mm
Copyright: CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Editor: This is Sir Thomas Lawrence's portrait of "Mrs. Siddons." She looks every bit the celebrated actress, and the color red really seems to dominate here. What meaning do you find in this portrait? Curator: Red, exactly! It vibrates with power. Notice how it's echoed in her jewelry, drawing our eye back to her face and the drama she embodies. The book suggests a link to classical tragedy. Does she represent the tragic muse herself? Editor: So, the red isn't just a color, but a symbol? That gives me a lot to think about regarding the psychological weight of color. Curator: Indeed. Lawrence invites us to consider Mrs. Siddons as a powerful figure, both real and symbolic.
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Sarah Siddons was the greatest tragic actress of her age. She was particularly famous for her interpretations of Shakespearian roles, in particular Lady Macbeth. Siddons retired from the stage in 1812; Lawrence painted her near the end of her career. She appears at one of her dramatic readings, with volumes of plays by Thomas Otway and Shakespeare beside her. Lawrence was the pre-eminent English portrait painter of the day. His works are marked by a fluent use of paint, and by a sense of scale and ambition which reflects his desire that portraiture be recognised as an elevated art form. Gallery label, February 2016
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