Sarah Siddons as the Tragic Muse
Painting by Joshua Reynolds
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sarah Siddons as the Tragic Muse, or Mrs. Siddons as the Tragic Muse, is a 1783–1784 painting by English painter Sir Joshua Reynolds. The 1784 version is in the Huntington Library art museum,[1] while a 1789 reproduction from Reynolds's studio is in the Dulwich Picture Gallery.[2]
ArtistJoshua Reynolds
Year1783–1784
Mediumoil on canvas
Dimensions239.4 cm × 147.64 cm (94.25 in × 58.125 in)[1]
| Sarah Siddons as the Tragic Muse | |
|---|---|
| |
| Artist | Joshua Reynolds |
| Year | 1783–1784 |
| Medium | oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 239.4 cm × 147.64 cm (94.25 in × 58.125 in)[1] |
| Location | Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens, San Marino, California |
Composition
The painting depicts the actress Sarah Siddons as Melpomene, the muse of tragedy. Siddons wears a diadem and is dressed in an 18th-century costume adorned with pearls. She is seated on a large throne while behind her, figures personifying Pity and Terror stand in the shadows.[3]
It provided the inspiration for Léon-Joseph Chavalliaud's 1897 marble Statue of Sarah Siddons in Paddington Green.
