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Helen Faucit (Helena (née Faucit Saville), Lady Martin)

(1814-1898), Actress; wife of Sir Theodore Martin

Sitter in 21 portraits
Saville first appeared on stage as Beatrice in 1833 in a small theatre in Richmond. Two years later she made her début at Covent Garden as Julia in Sheridan Knowles's The Hunchback, arousing such enthusiasm that she was given a three-year contract as leading lady. She had a hugely successful acting career for the next fifteen years, playing many classical and modern roles. Her most popular part was Pauline in Bulwer-Lytton's new play The Lady of Lyons; in it she was said to run the gamut of emotions and make her audiences do the same. Her greatest talent was in suggesting suppressed emotion and unspoken thought by facial expression, gesture and vocal tone.

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Helen Faucit (Helena (née Faucit Saville), Lady Martin), by Unknown artist - NPG 3908

Helen Faucit (Helena (née Faucit Saville), Lady Martin)

by Unknown artist
watercolour
NPG 3908

Helen Faucit (Helena (née Faucit Saville), Lady Martin), by Thomas Charles Wageman - NPG 4998

Helen Faucit (Helena (née Faucit Saville), Lady Martin)

by Thomas Charles Wageman
watercolour, circa 1838
NPG 4998

Helen Faucit (Helena (née Faucit Saville), Lady Martin), by John Henry Foley - NPG 1554

Helen Faucit (Helena (née Faucit Saville), Lady Martin)

by John Henry Foley
marble bust, 1843
NPG 1554

'Popular Actresses', by Frederick Holland Mares, after Alexander Bassano, and Clarkington & Co (Charles Clarkington), and Joseph Richard James, and Horatio Nelson King, and Camille Silvy, and possibly Leonida Caldesi, and Adolphe Paul Auguste Beau, and Thomas Cranfiel - NPG x137000

'Popular Actresses'

by Frederick Holland Mares, after Alexander Bassano, and Clarkington & Co (Charles Clarkington), and Joseph Richard James, and Horatio Nelson King, and Camille Silvy, and possibly Leonida Caldesi, and Adolphe Paul Auguste Beau, and Thomas Cranfiel
albumen carte-de-visite, 1863
NPG x137000

Helen Faucit (Helena (née Faucit Saville), Lady Martin), by Camille Silvy - NPG Ax63512

Helen Faucit (Helena (née Faucit Saville), Lady Martin)

by Camille Silvy
albumen print, 30 June 1864
NPG Ax63512

Helen Faucit (Helena (née Faucit Saville), Lady Martin), by Camille Silvy - NPG Ax63513

Helen Faucit (Helena (née Faucit Saville), Lady Martin)

by Camille Silvy
albumen print, 30 June 1864
NPG Ax63513

Helen Faucit (Helena (née Faucit Saville), Lady Martin), by Camille Silvy - NPG Ax63514

Helen Faucit (Helena (née Faucit Saville), Lady Martin)

by Camille Silvy
albumen print, 30 June 1864
NPG Ax63514

Helen Faucit (Helena (née Faucit Saville), Lady Martin) as Parthenia in 'Ingomar', by Camille Silvy - NPG Ax63535

Helen Faucit (Helena (née Faucit Saville), Lady Martin) as Parthenia in 'Ingomar'

by Camille Silvy
albumen print, 5 July 1864
NPG Ax63535

Helen Faucit (Helena (née Faucit Saville), Lady Martin) as Parthenia in 'Ingomar', by Camille Silvy - NPG Ax63536

Helen Faucit (Helena (née Faucit Saville), Lady Martin) as Parthenia in 'Ingomar'

by Camille Silvy
albumen print, 5 July 1864
NPG Ax63536

Helen Faucit (Helena (née Faucit Saville), Lady Martin), by Camille Silvy - NPG Ax77063

Helen Faucit (Helena (née Faucit Saville), Lady Martin)

by Camille Silvy
albumen carte-de-visite, 30 June 1864
NPG Ax77063

Helen Faucit (Helena (née Faucit Saville), Lady Martin), by Camille Silvy - NPG x23324

Helen Faucit (Helena (née Faucit Saville), Lady Martin)

by Camille Silvy
albumen carte-de-visite, 30 June 1864
NPG x23324

Helen Faucit (Helena (née Faucit Saville), Lady Martin), by Richard James Lane, printed by Graf & Soret, published by Joseph Dickinson, after Sir Frederic William Burton - NPG D22057

Helen Faucit (Helena (née Faucit Saville), Lady Martin)

by Richard James Lane, printed by Graf & Soret, published by Joseph Dickinson, after Sir Frederic William Burton
lithograph, published 1 February 1836
NPG D22057

Helen Faucit (Helena (née Faucit Saville), Lady Martin) as Pauline in 'Lady of Lyons', by Richard James Lane, printed by Jérémie Graf, published by John Mitchell, after Alfred Edward Chalon - NPG D22102

Helen Faucit (Helena (née Faucit Saville), Lady Martin) as Pauline in 'Lady of Lyons'

by Richard James Lane, printed by Jérémie Graf, published by John Mitchell, after Alfred Edward Chalon
hand-coloured lithograph, published 30 September 1839
NPG D22102

Miss Helen Faucit in the Character of the Lady of Lyons (Helen Faucit (Helena (née Faucit Saville), Lady Martin)), published by Welch & Gwynne - NPG D36665

Miss Helen Faucit in the Character of the Lady of Lyons (Helen Faucit (Helena (née Faucit Saville), Lady Martin))

published by Welch & Gwynne
mezzotint, published 17 April 1843
NPG D36665

Helen Faucit (Helena (née Faucit Saville), Lady Martin) as Pauline in Lytton's 'Lady of Lyons', by Julian Drummond, published by Welch & Gwynne, after Rose Myra Drummond - NPG D38292

Helen Faucit (Helena (née Faucit Saville), Lady Martin) as Pauline in Lytton's 'Lady of Lyons'

by Julian Drummond, published by Welch & Gwynne, after Rose Myra Drummond
mezzotint, published 17 April 1843
NPG D38292

Helen Faucit (Helena (née Faucit Saville), Lady Martin) as Pauline in Lytton's 'Lady of Lyons', by Julian Drummond, published by Welch & Gwynne, after Rose Myra Drummond - NPG D38293

Helen Faucit (Helena (née Faucit Saville), Lady Martin) as Pauline in Lytton's 'Lady of Lyons'

by Julian Drummond, published by Welch & Gwynne, after Rose Myra Drummond
mezzotint, published 17 April 1843
NPG D38293

Helen Faucit (Helena (née Faucit Saville), Lady Martin), by Richard James Lane, after Sir Frederic William Burton - NPG D4430

Helen Faucit (Helena (née Faucit Saville), Lady Martin)

by Richard James Lane, after Sir Frederic William Burton
lithograph, published 1857
NPG D4430

Helen Faucit (Helena (née Faucit Saville), Lady Martin), by Richard James Lane, after Sir Frederic William Burton - NPG D21855

Helen Faucit (Helena (née Faucit Saville), Lady Martin)

by Richard James Lane, after Sir Frederic William Burton
lithograph, published circa 1857
NPG D21855

Helen Faucit (Helena (née Faucit Saville), Lady Martin), by Richard James Lane, after Sir Frederic William Burton - NPG D22004

Helen Faucit (Helena (née Faucit Saville), Lady Martin)

by Richard James Lane, after Sir Frederic William Burton
lithograph, published 1857
NPG D22004

Helen Faucit (Helena (née Faucit Saville), Lady Martin), Sir Frederick William Burton, by Richard James Lane, after Sir Frederic William Burton - NPG D22213

Helen Faucit (Helena (née Faucit Saville), Lady Martin), Sir Frederick William Burton

by Richard James Lane, after Sir Frederic William Burton
lithograph, published 1857
NPG D22213

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