Peg Woffington

You can always come by an eclectic offering of fine art at Whyte's. I recently stumbled across this at an auction and thought it to be quite memorable.

WOFFINGTON (c.1714-1760)

Irish School (18th century)

oil on canvas

76 by 63cm., 30 by 24.7 5in.

Peg Woffington was an outstanding Irish actress whose professional career was launched with her acclaimed performance as Ophelia in Shakespeare's Hamlet in 1737, at Covent Garden (1754-57) where she allegedly outshone her contemporaries. She was romantically linked with many luminaries of the time including Edward Burke. By 1757 Woffington was suffering from an illness which culminated in her collapse on stage during a performance of As You Like It by Shakespeare. Her exit from stage was marked by Rosalind's line, "...I would kiss as many..." Peg Woffington is the subject of nine portraits in various mediums including oil and mezzotint in the collection of the National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin. Of the nine, this painting bears closest resemblance to an oil by John Lewis (fl.1740-69) entitled, Margaret (Peg) Woffington, Actress, (1718-60), signed Jn. Lewis, April 1753. This work is currently on view in the National Gallery, Dublin and listed in The National Gallery of Ireland, Illustrated Summary Catalogue of Paintings, p.263, catalogue no. 579.