Charles Dibdin
(1745-1814), Songwriter and dramatistMid-Georgian Portraits Catalogue Entry
Sitter in 5 portraits
Artist associated with 1 portrait
A composer, author, actor, and theatrical manager whose sea songs and operas made him one of the most popular English composers of the late eighteenth century. He began his stage career as an actor, and his first operetta, The Shepherd's Artifice, was produced at Covent Garden in 1764. By 1778, when he became composer to Covent Garden, he had produced eight operas, including The Padlock (1768) and The Waterman (1774). In around 1789 he began his celebrated one-man 'table entertainments', in which he acted as author, singer, and accompanist. Most of his sea songs were written for these, including 'Tom Bowling', 'To Bachelors' Hall', 'Poor Jack' and 'Twas in the Good Ship Rover'.
by Thomas Phillips
oil on canvas, 1799
NPG 103
by Benjamin Smith, after Thomas Kearsley
stipple engraving, published 1801
NPG D11016
by and published by Benjamin Smith, published by John Peter Thompson, after Thomas Kearsley
stipple engraving, published 2 November 1801
NPG D14612
by Sir George Scharf, after Unknown artist, and after John Young, after Thomas Phillips, and after Benjamin Smith, after Thomas Kearsley
pencil on tracing paper, 9 June 1860
NPG D21672
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