Sarah Siddons (née Kemble) (1755-1831), Actress
Sitter associated with 38 portraits
Artist associated with 1 portrait
A leading tragic actress and celebrity, Siddons dominated the London stage from 1782, when she made her debut at Drury Lane, to her farewell in 1812. Part of a powerful theatrical dynasty, her brothers were the actors Philip and Charles Kemble and her husband was the actor Henry Siddons. She was hailed as the chief interpreter of Shakespeare. Her masterpiece was Lady Macbeth as she excelled in roles that allowed her to combine passionate intelligence with pathos. The critic William Hazlitt proclaimed her 'tragedy personified'.
Sarah Siddons (née Kemble) as the Tragic Muse
by John Charles Bromley, after Sir Joshua Reynolds
mezzotint, published 1832 (1783-1784)
NPG D4232
by Richard James Lane, published by Joseph Dickinson, after Sir Thomas Lawrence
lithograph, published 1836 (1797)
NPG D15159
by Thomas Lewis Atkinson, published by Henry Graves, after Thomas Gainsborough
mezzotint, published 1870
NPG D14661
Sarah Siddons (née Kemble) in the character of Zara
by John Raphael Smith, published by and after Sir Thomas Lawrence
mezzotint, published 18 June 1783
NPG D41673
by Thomas Burke, published by James Birchall, after J. Bateman
stipple engraving, published 14 April 1783
NPG D19235
Sarah Siddons (née Kemble) as Melpomene
by James Gillray, published by James Ridgway
etching and aquatint, published 6 December 1784
NPG D41671
'Mrs Siddons and her Son in the Tragedy of Isabella' (Sarah Siddons (née Kemble); Henry Siddons)
by and published by James Caldwall, published by and after William Hamilton
mezzotint, published 1 June 1785
NPG D41670
after Thomas Gainsborough
offset lithograph printed in colours, (1785)
NPG D41676
Sarah Siddons (née Kemble) ('Mrs Siddons in the Tragedy of the Grecian Daughter')
by James Caldwall, after William Hamilton
line engraving, published 1789
NPG D10715
by William Ridley, published by Thomas Bellamy, after Sarah Siddons (née Kemble)
stipple engraving, published 1 August 1796
NPG D15025
by Henry Bone, after Sir Thomas Lawrence
pencil and ink drawing squared in ink for transfer, 1798 (1798)
NPG D17562
published by Photographische Gesellschaft, after Sir Thomas Lawrence
photogravure, 1900 or before (1798)
NPG D41672
Sarah Siddons (née Kemble) as the Tragic Muse
by Joseph Webb, published by Hannah Humphrey, after Sir Joshua Reynolds
hand-coloured mixed-method engraving, published 10 June 1798 (1783-1784)
NPG D41674
by Caroline Watson, after Charles Sherriff
stipple engraving, circa 1800-1814
NPG D20341
'Blowing up the Pic Nic's; - or - Harlequin Quixotte attacking the puppets'
by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching and aquatint, published 2 April 1802
NPG D13699
Sarah Siddons (née Kemble) as the Tragic Muse
by and published by Samuel William Reynolds, after Sir Joshua Reynolds
mezzotint, published circa 1820 (1783-1784)
NPG D14253
by Charles Turner, after Sir Thomas Lawrence
mezzotint, published 1826 (1797)
NPG D4230
by Thomas Lewis Atkinson, published by Henry Graves & Co, after Thomas Gainsborough
mezzotint, published 1870 (1785)
NPG D41675
Siddons
Related People
Cecilia Combe (née Siddons) (daughter)
Adelaide Kemble (Mrs Sartoris) (niece)
Charles Kemble (brother)
Frances ('Fanny') Kemble (sister)
Frances Anne ('Fanny') Kemble (niece)
Henry Vincent James Kemble (nephew)
John Philip Kemble (brother)
Roger Kemble (father)
Stephen Kemble (brother)
Henry Siddons (son)
Sarah Martha ('Sally') Siddons (daughter)
Elizabeth Whitlock (née Kemble) (sister)
Category
Theatre and Live Entertainment
Groups
Actors and actresses
Place
Powys





