Dive into the beauty and bawdiness of the 18th-century theatre, as seen through the eyes of artist Thomas Gainsborough.
In the 18th century people flocked to the stage to see plays, ballet and opera. But beyond the music there was another world. Theatres were notorious as places of ill-repute, where fights were common and actresses and dancers were commonly believed to be of questionable respectability. Nevertheless, the stage provided inspiration for many artists, none more so than Thomas Gainsborough. In this talk, Dr Matthew Morgan will look at the entwined histories of Gainsborough’s portrait painting and the theatre in the 18th century.
The talk will serve as an introduction to the topic, and no prior knowledge is necessary to join us. Attend live at the Museum or stream online from your sofa. This event is part of the public programming for our exhibition A Grand Chorus: The Power of Music.
This talk will last an hour. Tickets are available to watch either ONLINE or IN-PERSON at the Foundling Museum; in-person tickets include Museum entry. The online recording will be available to watch for 1 month.
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