John Bernard PartridgeBritish, 1861–1945Henry Irving as King Lear
May one see it?
Not receiving at present
Victoria and Albert Museum
London, United Kingdom
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the work
Bernard Partridge (1861-1945) was a painter and illustrator who became the principal cartoonist of Punch magazine. He acted at the Lyceum in his youth, using the name Bernard Gould, and made many drawings of Irving, some which appeared in the theatre's souvenir programmes. His work has provided both a record of costumes and scenery and of the dramatic effect of Irving's performances.
Read on
This image shows the actor Henry Irving (1838-1905) in the title role of King Lear by William Shakespeare (1564-1616). Lear is one of the most important parts to play for any tragic actor of high standing. Irving had first discussed doing so in 1883 and eventually produced the play in 1892. Accounts of his performance vary, but many who saw the opening night felt he had badly misjudged the vocal interpretation, his voice being weak and often inaudible. Although he made adjustments to correct this, the dramatic criticism of the press was based on the first performance. Despite this, King Lear ran for 76 performances, an unprecedented achievement at the time for a play which was not popular with audiences on account of its gloomy and depressing themes.
Victoria and Albert Museum
Particulars
- Accession number
- S.339-2011
What it shows
In the catalog
Sources
- Victoria and Albert Museum
- Image: Victoria and Albert Museum — © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
