Anne Oldfield by Frederick Wedmore
Mrs. Oldfield, the celebrated comedian, is the subject of a review of the volume Mr. Robins has compiled about her, illustrated by a photogravure frontispiece from Edward Fisher's mezzotint after Richardson's picture, showing the young woman who was the delight of Mr. Mainwaring before she was the delight of General Churchill, with a second Richardson portrait reproduced later in the book. The review laments that, unlike Garrick, Siddons or Mrs. Abington, Mrs. Oldfield left no revealing portrait of her art, and that written records of her are scanty: the Spectator discusses her delivery of a comic epilogue to a tragic play, for she preferred that management "give such things to Porter," but no critic of the stature of Lamb or Hazlitt, nor a diarist like the one who praised Mrs. Knipp and Nell Gwynne, left an account of her. Mr. Robins's book is called written "round" rather than about her, padded with Queen Anne and early Georgian gossip and shy of fully treating a possible daughter, though he does chronicle two sons. Mrs. Oldfield was never married; her time looked leniently on her love affairs, which were neither frequent nor brutal. She was impulsive, sensible, magnetic, kind even to the humblest, yet walked with Royalty on the slopes of Windsor. Raised in a third-rate street in Westminster and a tavern in St. James's Market, she died at her house in Grosvenor Street in middle age, leaving a comfortable fortune to her two sons by distinguished men. She relieved the poet Savage, who later wrote verses on her death. The review regrets that Robins omitted Joseph Knight's Dictionary of National Biography list of her roles, noting she seems to have most excelled in The Provoked Husband, though she also played Andromache and Sophonisba well, being of gentle blood despite poor origins. Her art, like Ellen Terry's or Mrs. Kendal's, showed no decline over twenty years; like Aimée Desclée, she acted at the end despite great physical suffering. The Town grieved sincerely at her death; refused a monument, she was nonetheless buried in the Abbey near the street of her childhood.
By Frederick Wedmore · First published 1899 · Genre: Biography, Literary Criticism, Theater History · 1,325 words
First lines
‘Mrs. Oldfield, the celebrated comedian,' is the title inscribed by a contemporary -- who knew how the lady should be spoken of -- upon the copper which Edward Fisher engraved in mezzotint from the picture by Richardson. A photogravure reproduction from this rare, desirable print -- which shows the lissome grace and flexible charm of a young woman who enchanted the town, and who was the delight of Mr. Mainwaring before she was the delight of General Churchill -- forms the frontispiece to the slight and gossipy and unscientific, but by no means disagreeable volume which Mr. Robins has compiled -- we cannot say written -- about the actress whom he dubs familiarly ‘Nance. ' A cheaper reproduction of another portrait of her -- the original also by Richardson -- is to be found upon a later page. In both portraits she is represented _in propria persona_, of which we need not complain, but which it is expedient to chronicle, inasmuch as such portraiture throws no direct illumination upon the achievements of her art. Deprived of any such assistance as might well have been given, at all events had the compiler of the volume been dealing with a comedian of later time -- with Garrick, say, whose Abel Drugger is known to us by the canvas of Zoffany; with Siddons, who not only as the ‘Tragic Muse' reveals the characteristics of her power; or even with Mrs. Abington, whose performance as Miss Prue in _Love for Love_ we seem to witness by dint of familiarity with Sir Joshua's picture -- we are thrown back entirely, for our acquaintance with Mrs. Oldfield, upon the written records produced for our survey.
Similar titles
- Pageants And Dress by G. K. Chesterton
- A Defence Of Dramatic Unities by G. K. Chesterton
- Massenet And Women by Carl Van Vechten
- Samuel Butler by Edmund Gosse
- Ireland And The Domestic Drama by G. K. Chesterton
- On Stage Costume by G. K. Chesterton
Genres
- Biography — The work documents Anne Oldfield's life from childhood through death, chronicling her upbringing, relationships, career achievements, personal character, and legacy as a celebrated actress.
- Literary Criticism — Functions as a critical review and evaluation of Mr. Robins' biographical compilation, assessing its scholarly approach, stylistic shortcomings, and methodology in documenting Oldfield's life and career.
- Theater History — Extensively discusses 18th-century theatrical practices, performance traditions, Oldfield's diverse roles spanning twenty years, and comparisons to other renowned actors like Garrick and Siddons.
- History — Provides detailed historical context of Georgian England, Queen Anne's era, and the social milieu in which Oldfield lived and performed, from Westminster taverns to Windsor slopes.
Tags
actress · theater · biography · 18th-century literature · London · book review · acting · theatrical legacy · portraiture · Queen Anne era · dramatic criticism · biographical study
What this Textopian page supports
Anne Oldfield is listed on Textopian as an article by Frederick Wedmore, dated 1899 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Article
- Author: Frederick Wedmore
- Date: 1899 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Biography, Literary Criticism, Theater History, History, Essay
- Length: 1,325 words
- Structure: 1 section, 6 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Anne Oldfield by Frederick Wedmore
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph