{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1262317"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1262317/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2013GT0085/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2013GT0085/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2013GT0085","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1262317","accessionNumber":"S.1247-2013","objectType":"Print","titles":[{"title":"John Philip Kemble as Oedipus","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"The highly melodramatic play <i>Oedipus,</i> written by John Dryden and Nathaniel Lee based Sophocles' <i>Oedipus Rex</i>, was licensed in 1678 and first performed by the Duke's Company at London's Dorset Garden Theatre. It proved immensely popular and was revived several times in the late 17th century and throughout the first half of the 18th century. This print represents the moment at the beginning of Act II in which Oedipus, played by John Philip Kemble, implored the gods to save Thebes on seeing: 'The perfect vision of a man and woman/ A sceptre bright with gems in each right hand'.\n\nJohn Philip Kemble was one of the leading actor-managers in London in the late  18th and early 19th centuries. Born in Prescot, Lancashire, in 1757, the first son and second child of the actors Roger Kemble and Sarah Ward, he first appeared  on the stage aged 10 with his father's company at Worcester, as the young Duke of York in William Havard's <i>King Charles the First. </i>He made his adult début at Wolverhampton on 8 January 1776 in the title role of Nathaniel Lee's <i>Theodosius</i>.\r\n\r\nFluent in French with a good education in Latin and Greek, Kemble acted a wide variety of roles in the provinces with Joseph Younger's company; with Tate Wilkinson's company, and with Richard Daly's company at the Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin, before making his London début at Drury Lane Theatre as Hamlet on 30 September 1783. During his second season he played opposite his   already famous elder sister Sarah Siddons as Othello to her Desdemona, and, for his benefit on 31 March 1785, Macbeth to her Lady Macbeth. He went on to  become acting manager at Drury Lane for Sheridan the owner in 1788, and in 1803 a shareholder in Covent Garden theatre where he made his début as Hamlet on 24 September 1803, and where his management was subjected to the   double catastrophes of the destruction of the theatre by fire in 1808 and the so-called Old Price riots that succeeded the opening of the rebuilt theatre in 1809.\r\n\r\nDogged with bad health Kemble nevertheless made his name as an eminent  tragedian, especially in the classical roles he prized, such as that of the Roman statesman Cato. He did not act the part of  Oedipus in London, but for his farewell performance at Drury Lane on 23rd June 1817 chose the part of the Roman general Coriolanus. He died in Lausanne, Switzerland, less than six years later, on 26th February 1823.","physicalDescription":"Oedipus is shown kneeling, his back to the audience, gesturing to a heavenly vision top left, with his wife Jocasta by his side and the city of Thebes below. The scene from the play in which this incident occurs is printed above the image, and the title 'Oedipus' and a quote from Oedipus's part in Act II on a plinth below. The sphinx top centre obscures the word 'British' of the words: 'British Theatre'.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Thomas Holloway","id":"A32396"},"association":{"text":"Engravers","id":"AAT25165"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Henry Fuseli","id":"A8410"},"association":{"text":"Artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Bell, John","id":"A27650"},"association":{"text":"Publishers","id":"AAT25574"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"printing ink","id":"AAT187371"},{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"}],"techniques":[{"text":"print-making","id":"AAT131119"},{"text":"engraving","id":"AAT53225"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Engraving, printed ink on paper","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Prints","id":"THES48903"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2013GT0085"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"001","id":"THES356570"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"print","id":"AAT41273"}],[{"text":"engraving","id":"AAT41340"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Great Britain","id":"x32019"},"association":{"text":"published","id":"x30682"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1792","earliest":"1792-01-01","latest":"1792-12-31"},"association":{"text":"published","id":"x30682"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"S.1246-2013","id":"O1262316"},"association":"Object"}],"creditLine":"Harry R. Beard Collection, given by Isobel Beard.","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"14.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"8.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'Act II Scene 1'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Printed above portrait"},{"content":"'<i>OEDIPUS</i> / OE dip _ hear me, hear me gods!'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Printed below portrait"}],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"John Philip Kemble (1757-1823) in the title role of <i>Oedipus</i> by John Dryden (1631-1700) and Nathaniel Lee (ca.1653-1692). Engraving by Thomas Holloway (1738-1829) after Henry Fuseli (1741-1825). Printed for John Bell's British Library, 11th February 1792\n\n\n","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"John Philip Kemble","id":"N2478"},{"text":"Oedipus","id":"N249"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":["Oedipus"],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.1247-2013"],"accessionNumberNum":"1247","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2013,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"","id":""},"number":""}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-09","recordCreationDate":"2013-04-11","availableToBook":true}}