Mr Liston as Dominie Sampson in Guy Mannering
1850
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1850
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Dominant colour
Mr Liston as Dominie Sampson in Guy Mannering is a 1850 by Unknown, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This painting shows a man dressed as a clergyman. He's wearing old-fashioned clothes and has a book in his hand. The interesting thing about this work is that it's a portrait of an actor playing a character from a book, which was a common practice back then, and it gives us a glimpse into the theater scene of the time. The actor, Mr Liston, is depicted in a specific role, Dominie Sampson, which suggests that the artist wanted to showcase his performance. This print is also part of the Harry Beard Collection, which implies it has some historical significance. You can learn more about this type of artwork by looking into the technique of chiaroscuro.
