Mr John Lacey
1850
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1850
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
This painting shows a man, John Lacey, dressed as characters from a play. He's wearing multiple costumes at once. The fact that he's playing three roles is interesting because it shows the actor's range. The print was published by the Dramatic Magazine in London. It's part of the Harry Beard Collection. This gives us a clue about the painting's history. You can learn more about similar prints by looking into the technique of chiaroscuro.
