Mrs. Siddons as Jane Shore in Rowe's 'Jane Shore'
1791
watercolor
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1791
watercolor
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Mrs. Siddons as Jane Shore in Rowe's 'Jane Shore' is a 1791 watercolor by William Hamilton, a British Romanticism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This painting shows a woman in a long white dress standing indoors. She’s holding a string of beads and looks down, lost in thought. The room behind her has stone walls and a window revealing ruins outside—columns and arches in the distance. The artist used soft, muted colors and gentle shading to create a quiet mood. The woman’s face is calm but sad, like she’s remembering something hard. Want to see more? Check out the Victoria and Albert Museum.
In this 1791 painting, Sarah Siddons portrays Jane Shore, the fallen woman from Nicholas Rowe’s 1714 tragedy, depicted in a state of desperate penitence. The scene reflects the play’s altered narrative, where the historical mistress of Edward IV is shown abandoned and reduced to destitution before ultimately finding redemption through her husband’s forgiveness. Siddons, for her tragic performances, embodies the character’s suffering with such intensity that contemporary accounts noted audience members fainting from emotional overwhelm. The work captures a pivotal moment of moral and physical…
Read the full account in the museum source.
William Hamilton painted actors and scenes from plays in the late 1700s. His real paintings include Sarah Siddons as Jane Shore and a Twelfth Night scene with Maria, Olivia, and Viola. He also made a watercolor copy of…
See the richer artist page
