William HogarthEnglish, 1697–1764Strolling Actresses Dressing in a Barn
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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
Strolling Actresses Dressing in a Barn was William Hogarth’s ardent protest against Robert Walpole’s Licensing Act of 1737. The act gave the British government the power to heavily censor theatrical productions. Sentimentalist domestic plays and Shakespeare were the only productions allowed on stage. Hogarth’s engraving shows actresses dressed as Classical deities preparing for a performance in a shabby and chaotic backstage setting. The artist critiqued the British government’s pompous attempt to whitewash the theater by juxtaposing the idealized characters the actresses will portray with the actresses’ reality.
Art Institute of ChicagoCC BY 4.0
Particulars
- Accession number
- 1921.346
In the catalog
Sources
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Image: Art Institute of Chicago — CC0
