James GillrayBritish, 1757–1815Dilettanti-Theatricals
Can I see it?
Not on view at present
Where is “Dilettanti-Theatricals” now? Collection: Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago. Not on view at present. Checked September 29, 2026.
Chicago, United States
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the work
While ancient theater has continued to inspire the modern world, satirist James Gillray leaves little doubt as to the caliber of the performers seen here. The Muses of theater, Thalia and Melpomene, are invoked on panels of the dressing room screen along with Cecilia, the patron saint of music, the composer George Frideric Handel, the playwright William Shakespeare, and the actor David Garrick. The fierce Melpomene indeed looks rather like Lady Macbeth, with a dagger and a chalice raised above her head as if to pounce on the amateur theatricals trilling and carousing below.
Art Institute of ChicagoCC BY 4.0
Details
- Accession number
- 1928.1360
In the catalog
Sources
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Image: Art Institute of Chicago — CC0
