1802
watercolor
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Mrs. Davenport as Dame Ashfield in Morton's 'Speed the Plough' is a 1802 watercolor by Samuel De Wilde, a Romanticism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This sketch shows a woman dressed in old-fashioned clothes. She wears a white cap with ribbons, a ruffled collar, and a long dress with a belt. Her face looks serious, and she holds something in her left hand. The artist used soft pencil strokes to show light and shadow, giving her face a gentle look. This style was common in theater portraits of the time. Look up Victoria and Albert Museum to see more sketches like this.
Samuel de Wilde’s 1802 portrait depicts Mrs. Davenport as Dame Ashfield in Morton’s five-act comedy *Speed the Plough*, a genre in which the artist specialized. Unlike idealized theatrical portrayals, the painting presents an unidealized character study of the actress, emphasizing her role without embellishment. The work avoids the grand dramatic conventions seen in other contemporary depictions of stage performers.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Samuel De Wilde, born and died in London, was a portrait painter and etcher of Dutch descent famous for his theatrical paintings.
See the richer artist page
