A PASSION FOR PERFORMANCE:
SARAH SIDDONS AND HER PORTRAITISTS
(THE BOOK)
(J. Paul Getty Museum Publications: 1999)
The three essays in this volume convey vivid insights into theatrical and artistic performance in late-eighteenth-century Britain. Revisiting the lively interchanges between actors and artists, the volume captures the atmosphere of creative ferment that characterized the period. By focusing on the glamorous figure of Sarah Siddons, the greatest star of the Georgian stage, the volume provides general readers with a compelling point of access to British theater history and an introduction to a woman of remarkable talent and influence. The volume also provides an accessible introduction to eighteenth-century British art. Information concerning the making and marketing of Siddons's portraits sheds light on the profession of painting, as well as the cultivation of celebrity in the Georgian era. Combining elements of art and theater history, biography, women's studies, and painting conservation, the volume will appeal to a broad readership, while making important contributions to scholarship.
The publication of this volume coincides with two exhibitions of Siddons's portraiture to be held at the Getty and the Huntington (July 27 - September 19, 1999). Produced in lieu of an exhibition catalogue, it illustrates many of the objects in the exhibitions and will be available for purchase in the museums' shops or through commercial booksellers.
Contents:
The Book may be purchased at the bookstores at The Huntington and the Getty,
or it may be ordered from the Getty Trust Publications Distribution Center:
In North America: 800-223-3431
Local/International: 310-440-7333
Fax: 818-799-0051