David Garrick
(1717-1779), Actor, playwright and theatre managerMid-Georgian Portraits Catalogue Entry
Sitter associated with 61 portraits
Garrick was born in Hereford and grew up in Lichfield, Staffordshire. When Samuel Johnson opened his ill-fated school in 1735, Garrick was one of the few pupils. Perhaps recognising their mutual ambition, the two men travelled to London together in March 1737, taking turns to ride on their shared horse. Garrick first appeared on the London stage in 1741 and went on to achieve huge success as an actor, playwright and theatre manager, becoming the most celebrated theatrical personality of the eighteenth century. He was acclaimed for his naturalistic style and his versatility in both comic and tragic roles. He transformed what it meant to be an actor, no longer simply an entertainer but a pillar of British culture.
David Garrick; Eva Maria Garrick (née Veigel)
after William Hogarth
photogravure, (1757)
NPG D34379
David Garrick ('Garrick between Comedy and Tragedy')
by Edward Fisher, after Sir Joshua Reynolds
mezzotint printed in colours, (1760-1761)
NPG D34376
by Richard Purcell (H. Fowler, Charles or Philip Corbutt), printed by Robert Sayer, printed by Carington Bowles, after Sir Joshua Reynolds
mezzotint, (1760-1761)
NPG D34382
David Garrick ('Reddere Personae scit convenientia cuique')
by Edward Fisher, after Sir Joshua Reynolds
mezzotint, (1760-1761)
NPG D34383
by Richard Purcell (H. Fowler, Charles or Philip Corbutt), printed for Robert Sayer, after Sir Joshua Reynolds
mezzotint, (1760-1761)
NPG D2420
by Richard Purcell (H. Fowler, Charles or Philip Corbutt), printed for Robert Sayer, after Sir Joshua Reynolds
mezzotint, (1760-1761)
NPG D19234
by Charles Spooner, after Thomas Hudson
mezzotint, 1760s (1761)
NPG D2419
by Charles Spooner, published by Robert Sayer, after Benjamin Wilson
mezzotint, published 1761
NPG D14163
after Unknown artist
etching, circa 1764
NPG D7658
by Valentine Green, published by John Boydell, after Thomas Gainsborough
mezzotint, published 2 April 1769 (1766-1769)
NPG D34384
by Valentine Green, published by John Boydell, after Thomas Gainsborough
mezzotint, published 2 April 1769 (1766-1769)
NPG D34385
David Garrick; William Shakespeare
by John Sebastian Miller (formerly Johann Sebastian Müller)
stipple engraving, published 1769
NPG D20571
by Unknown artist
impression of seal, (late 18th century)
NPG D7035
by John Dixon
mezzotint, published 1772
NPG D17075
by Benjamin Wilson
etching, circa 1773
NPG D49500
by Thomas Watson, after Sir Joshua Reynolds
mezzotint, (circa 1775?)
NPG D2421
by Joseph Collyer the Younger, published by George Kearsley, after Thomas Gainsborough
line engraving, published 1 November 1776
NPG D27967
by Joseph Collyer the Younger, after Thomas Gainsborough
line engraving, published 1776
NPG D2743
by Joseph Collyer the Younger, after Thomas Gainsborough
line engraving, published 1776
NPG D2744
by Robert Laurie, printed for and published by James Stevens, after Sir Joshua Reynolds
mezzotint, published 30 January 1779 (circa 1775?)
NPG D34374
Comments back to top
We are currently unable to accept new comments, but any past comments are available to read below.
If you need information from us, please use our Archive enquiry service . Please note that we cannot provide valuations. You can buy a print or greeting card of most illustrated portraits. Select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Buy a Print button. Prices start at around £6 for unframed prints, £16 for framed prints. If you wish to license an image, select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Use this image button, or contact our Rights and Images service. We digitise over 8,000 portraits a year and we cannot guarantee being able to digitise images that are not already scheduled.
Related pages
- Alexander Browne and Richard Tompson
- Late Eighteenth Century Prints and Drawings
- Samuel Johnson and biography
- Only Connect
- Only Connect - David Garrick <> Karl Abel
- Only Connect - installation video
- The First Actresses: Nell Gwyn to Sarah Siddons
- Everyday icons: collecting popular portraits
- Love Stories
- Love stories: art, passion and tragedy