Later Stuart Portraits Catalogue
Anne Oldfield (1683-1730), Actress
- Gallery portraits
- All known portraits
- Biography and References
Actress; joined the Drury Lane Company under John Rich 1699; moved to the Queen’s Theatre, Haymarket, under Owen MacSwinny 1706, finally returning to Drury Lane 1711; her stage success enabled her to adopt an elegant lifestyle, the posthumous sale of her possessions in 1731 lasting five days; she bore sons by Arthur Maynwaring and Charles Churchill (c.1678-1745) who, with his father, was her residuary legatee.
‘Her distinction is owing to her manner and not to her habit; Her beauty is full of attraction, but not of allurement. There is such a composure in her looks, and propriety in her dress, that you would think it impossible she should change her garb’ (The Tatler, 1710).
This extended catalogue entry is from the National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: John Ingamells, National Portrait Gallery: Later Stuart Portraits 1685-1714, National Portrait Gallery, 2009, and is as published then. For the most up-to-date details on individual Collection works, we recommend reading the information provided in the Search the Collection results on this website in parallel with this text.
‘Her distinction is owing to her manner and not to her habit; Her beauty is full of attraction, but not of allurement. There is such a composure in her looks, and propriety in her dress, that you would think it impossible she should change her garb’ (The Tatler, 1710).
This extended catalogue entry is from the National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: John Ingamells, National Portrait Gallery: Later Stuart Portraits 1685-1714, National Portrait Gallery, 2009, and is as published then. For the most up-to-date details on individual Collection works, we recommend reading the information provided in the Search the Collection results on this website in parallel with this text.