Sarah Siddons

Plaster bust of Sarah Siddons (1755-1831), self-portrait sculpture, ca.1790.

Sarah Siddons, née Kemble, was born in Brecon, Wales, into a touring company of actors led by her father Roger Kemble. She and her brother, John Philip Kemble (1757-1823), became the leading stars of their generation. Although Sarah’s debut on the London stage in 1775 was not a success, she was invited back to London after triumphant appearances at the Theatre Royal in Bath and became the talk of the town, much favoured by the royal family. She was admired in her private life for her virtue as a wife and mother, and on stage she was acclaimed for her performances in tragedy. Reynolds immortalised her as the tragic muse in his portrait of 1784. Shakespeare provided her with some of her greatest roles, notably Lady Macbeth, Hermione in The Winter’s Tale and Queen Katherine in Henry VIII.