{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O75245"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O75245/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AV8231/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AV8231/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AV8231","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KA7050","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O75245/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O75245","accessionNumber":"P.146-1929","objectType":"Portrait Miniature","titles":[{"title":"Portrait Miniature of Mrs Siddons, born Sarah Kemble","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"By 1783 Mrs Siddons was the leading tragic actress in the country, and any portrait of her was guaranteed to be an eye-catcher in a crowded exhibition room. Richard Crosse astutely recognised the appeal of the star, and painted a miniature of five inches which he clearly intended to act as an advertisement for him as well as for the actress. Painting on such a large scale on ivory in watercolours was an undoubted test of skill. He has ingeniously exploited the light-reflecting ivory support by increasing the transparency of the watercolours by adding more gum arabic. He has also avoided depicting Mrs Siddons in a theatrical role. By presenting her in fashionable dress and standing among picturesquely evocative ruins, he alludes to her classical tragic roles, but does so with a gentle lyricism altogether appropriate to the scale of the art of painting in miniature.","physicalDescription":"Portrait of Mrs Siddons, the famous actress, leaning on a pillar with an urn in the background.  Wearing a white dress trimmed with blue ribbon.  Hair worn high and powdered with pearls laced through it.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Crosse, Richard","id":"A7699"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"watercolour","id":"x33202"},{"text":"ivory","id":"AAT11857"}],"techniques":[{"text":"painting","id":"x30598"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Watercolour on ivory","categories":[{"text":"Portraits","id":"THES48906"},{"text":"Paintings","id":"THES48917"},{"text":"Miniatures","id":"THES269968"}],"styles":[{"text":"Georgian","id":"AAT21048"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2006AV8231","2017KA7050"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"90A","id":"THES49164"},"free":"","case":"CA011","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"miniature (painting)","id":"AAT33936"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Great Britain","id":"x32019"},"association":{"text":"painted","id":"x30138"},"note":"probably"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1783","earliest":"1783-01-01","latest":"1783-12-31"},"association":{"text":"painted","id":"x30138"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Purchased, 1929","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"174","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"133","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"230","unit":"mm","qualifier":"framed","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"198","unit":"mm","qualifier":"framed","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Purchased, 1929 with P.147-1929 and P.148-1929","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Portrait Miniature of the actress Sarah Siddons (1755-1831) née Kemble, by Richard Crosse, watercolour on ivory, Great Britain, 1783.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"Damiët Schneeweisz, Rosalind McKever, and Adriana Concin. <i>The Portrait Miniature: A New History</i>. London: Thames & Hudson and the V&A, 2026.","id":"AUTH411474"},"details":"","free":""}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Siddons, Sarah","id":"N926"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"portrait","id":"AAT33936"},{"text":"actress","id":"AAT25658"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["P.146-1929"],"accessionNumberNum":"146","accessionNumberPrefix":"P","accessionYear":1929,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2019LR0848","2019LP6609","2019LU7155"],"recordModificationDate":"2026-05-14","recordCreationDate":"2003-02-25","availableToBook":false}}