{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O122829"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O122829/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AB9305/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AB9305/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AB9305","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O122829","accessionNumber":"S.730-1997","objectType":"Miniature","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"This miniature is of Sir Henry Irving, the first actor ever to be awarded a knighthood for services to the theatre, and from his appearance as an elderly man with grey, receding hair, it seems as if would have been painted near the end of his life. Irving was a committed and passionate actor-manager who dominated the stage in the last thirty years of Queen Victoria's reign and who made his name at London's Lyceum Theatre which he managed from 1878.\r\n\r\nBorn in Somerset, Irving made his first professional appearance in Sunderland in 1856 and in London at the Lyceum Theatre in 1871.  He became an overnight success after his appearance there as the Polish Jew in Leopold Lewis's play <i>The Bells</i>.  He went on to star in a huge number of plays at the Lyceum, on tour in England, in Canada and America.  He received several honours during his lifetime, and many memorial images were struck in his honour after his death in 1905 while on tour in Bradford, after playing the title part <i>Becket</i>, one of his favourite roles.","physicalDescription":"Painted miniature of head and shoulders of Henry Irving with greying, receding hair, mounted in a wooden frame with gold fillet and brass ring for suspension.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"paint","id":"AAT15029"},{"text":"wood","id":"AAT11914"},{"text":"brass","id":"AAT10946"}],"techniques":[{"text":"painting","id":"AAT54216"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Paintings","id":"THES48917"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2006AB9305"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"001","id":"THES355443"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"miniature","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca.1905","earliest":"1900-01-01","latest":"1909-12-31"},"association":{"text":"painted","id":"x30138"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Accepted by HM Government in lieu of Inheritance Tax and allocated to the Victoria and Albert Museum, 1996","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"11.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"total height, including frame","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"10.1","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"total width, including frame","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"7.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"of reveal","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"5.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"of reveal","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Miniature of Sir Henry Irving. Anonymous.","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Irving, Henry","id":"N1283"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.730-1997"],"accessionNumberNum":"730","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":1997,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-16","recordCreationDate":"2006-04-06","availableToBook":true}}