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Description: | Zoffany based this painting on the performance he attended at the Drury Lane Theatre in London on 18 April 1763. The famous actor David Garrick, from Lichfield, considered the role of Sir John Brute in the play 'The Provok'd wife' one of his favourites. Garrick adapted Shakespeare's plays so a wider audience could appreciate them. An intelligent man with important friends, he changed the status of the actor, making the profession respectable.This scene depicts Sir John dressed in his wife's new clothes which he had stolen earlier on a drunken whim. The police are trying to arrest him for causing a disturbance. In the original play Sir John was supposed to be dressed as a clergyman, but David Garrick wanted to poke fun at lady's fashions that were lavish and impracticable.
David Garrick (1717-1779) was born in Hereford, but spent much of his early life in Lichfield where he was a pupil and friend of Samuel Johnson. Moving to London, Garrick soon achieved fame in London as a magnetic actor and from 1747 when he became manager of Drury Lane Theatre until his death, he dominated British theatrical life. Garrick more than any other individual brought drama into the forefront of English culture by developing techniques of acting, instituting regular rehearsals and experimenting with authentic costumes and scenery. He was adept at using publicity and was instrumental in fostering an appreciation of Shakespeare, masterminding the Shakespeare Jubilee of 1769, which ensured that British and European culture would locate Shakespeare at its centre. In his field, Garrick was as influential as other figures of the Midlands Enlightenment such as Samuel Johnson and Erasmus Darwin. The leading artists of the day, Reynolds, Gainsborough and Hogarth painted Garrick. In 1761 Garrick met a young German-born artist Johann Zoffany (1733 -1810) and commissioned from him a series of paintings, which pictured Garrick and other actors of the Drury Lane Theatre in different roles. Until he met Garrick, Zoffany had made a living painting clock-faces. His paintings for Garrick were shown at the Society of Artists' exhibition and were a great success, helping to make Zoffany's reputation. He secured patronage from King George III and Queen Charlotte and later made his fortune in India. "The Provok'd Wife" was written in 1697 by the architect, soldier, spy and playwright John Vanbrugh (1664-1726). It was performed at Drury Lane 95 times, and Garrick played Sir Brute 93 times. One of the theatregoers recalled: "Mr Garrick never played better and when he was in Women's clothes he had a head dressed with feathers, fruit etc., as extravagant as possible, to burlesque the present mode of dressing - it had a monstrous effect." The clothes in which Garrick modelled for Zoffany became the classic theatrical costume for Sir Brute. The roles of watchmen were played by other actors of the Drury Lane Theatre: Henry Vaughan, Thomas Hull, Thomas Clough, William Parsons, Thomas Phillips, and Mr. Watkins.
Johann Zoffany was born in Germany and trained as a historical painter. In 1760 he settled in England and made the acquaintance of David Garrick (1717-1779), the famous actor and manager of the Drury Lane Theatre in London. Garrick commissioned from Zofanny a number of the theatrical paintings. They were shown at the London Society of Artists' exhibition, and were a great success, helping to make both the artist's and the actor's reputations. In the 1780s he moved to India and became one of the first few British artists who explored this mysterious and little known country. He painted scenes from local life, but his financial success came from portraits of British residents, employees of the East India Company, and Indian princes. 'David Garrick as Sir John Brute' shows the actor in one of his famous and favourite comic roles. 'The Provok'd Wife' was written in 1697 by the architect, soldier, spy and playwright John Vanbrugh (1664-1726). It was performed at Drury Lane 95 times, and Garrick played Sir Brute 93 times. Sir Brute is a coarse man who stole his wife's clothes during a drunken escapade. In the scene shown by Zoffany, he is about the be arrested by Watchmen. The clothes in which Garrick modelled for Zofanny became the classic theatrical costume for Sir Brute. The roles of the Watchmen are played by other actors of the Drury Lane Theatre: Henry Vaughan (a brother of Hannah Prichard), Thomas Hull, Thomas Clough, William Parsons, Thomas Phillips and Mr. Watkins.
Oil painting showing a scene from the play 'The Provok'd Wife' in which Garrick, in a large yellow dress, plays Sir John Brute. Sir John Brute (Garrick) is holding up a stick whilst the police are attempting to arrest him. | License: | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/uk/ | Publisher: | Wolverhampton Arts and Museums Service | Subjects: | Alcohol Literature Fine arts Men Married women Oil painting Women Oil Paintings Plays David Garrick Theatre Georgian period People and roles Actors Sir John Brute Paintings Drunk Dresses Police People Art collections | Temporal: | 1763 - 1765
Georgian (1714-1837) | Source: | Black Country History | Creator: | ZOFFANY; Johann Joseph (1733 - 1810) | Identifier: | http://www.blackcountryhistory.org/colle... | Go to resource |
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