Bust, probably of Sarah Siddons

mid 19th century · Bust · 27 × 12 cm

Can I see it?

Not on view at present

Where is “Bust, probably of Sarah Siddons” now? Collection: Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Not on view at present. Checked September 25, 2026.

Victoria and Albert Museum

London, United Kingdom

It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.

Checked: 15 days ago
In this state since: Sep 25, 2026
Source: The museum

On the map Museum page

About the sculpture

There was a flourishing market in the 19th century for small, decorative ceramic items, especially for figurines of actors and actresses, either porcelain or the cheaper earthenware versions. Small mass-produced busts, such as this, were also popular and the owner would have felt they bestowed the mark of a cultivated person when displayed in the home.

Read on

This bust is not named but probably represents the great tragic actress Sarah Siddons (1755-1831) who, with her brother Stephen Kemble, dominted the English stage of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Sarah Siddons was the youngest of the actor Roger Kemble's twelve children and spent her formative years with the family theatre company, travelling up and down the country. The family's first appearance at Drury Lane Theatre in the 1775 to 1776 season was not a success but when Sarah appeared there again as Isabella in The Fatal Marriage, she was celebrated as the perfect noble tragic heroine, creating a legend that lasted until her retirement in 1812.

Victoria and Albert Museum