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Catalog Data

Artist:
William Page, Jan 1811 - 30 Sep 1885  Search this
Sitter:
Charlotte Saunders Cushman, 23 Jul 1816 - 17 Feb 1876  Search this
Medium:
Oil on canvas
Dimensions:
Stretcher: 71.1 x 56.8 x 3.8cm (28 x 22 3/8 x 1 1/2")
Frame: 95.9 x 81.3 x 12.1cm (37 3/4 x 32 x 4 3/4")
Type:
Painting
Date:
1853
Exhibition Label:
Born Boston, Massachusetts
Billed as “the greatest living tragic actress” of the mid-nineteenth century, Charlotte Cushman excelled in portraying strong women, notably William Shakespeare’s Lady Macbeth. She became best known, however, for convincingly portraying male characters, including Hamlet and Romeo. While other female performers titillated audiences by crossdressing as men, Cushman used her large physique, prominent jawline, and athleticism to astonish viewers with an uncanny experience of gender-bending verisimilitude.
Cushman defied gender norms offstage as well, often dressing in the masculine style represented in this portrait. She managed her own career and demanded equal pay with male actors. Lack of public awareness about lesbian sexuality enabled her to sustain long-term intimate relationships with women while avoiding scandal. From 1845 to 1849, Cushman toured Britain, impressing audiences with her vigorous “American” acting style. During the 1850s, she became the center of an expatriate community of women artists and writers in Rome, where this portrait was painted.
Nacida en Boston, Massachusetts
Charlotte Cushman, anunciada como “la mejor actriz trágica” de mediados del siglo XIX, se distinguió en roles de mujeres fuertes, sobre todo la Lady Macbeth de Shakespeare. Sin embargo, fue más famosa por sus convincentes personajes masculinos, entre ellos Hamlet y Romeo. Mientras otras actrices se vestían de hombre para despertar sensualidad, Cushman aprovechaba su talla robusta, mandíbula prominente y agilidad física para asombrar con una experiencia insólita de verosimilitud andrógina.
Cushman también desafió las normas de género fuera del teatro, vistiendo a menudo al estilo masculino que vemos en este retrato. Administró ella misma su carrera y exigió igual paga que los hombres. La ignorancia general sobre la sexualidad lesbiana le permitió sostener largas relaciones románticas con mujeres sin provocar escándalos. De 1845 a 1849 hizo giras por Gran Bretaña, impresionando al público con su vigoroso estilo “americano” de actuación. En la década de 1850 se convirtió en centro de una comunidad de mujeres artistas y escritoras expatriadas en Roma, donde se pintó este retrato.
Provenance:
Allerton Seward Cushman, Washington, D.C., great-nephew of sitter; his son Charles Van Brunt Cushman, Miraveste, Cal.; purchased 1972 NPG.
Topic:
Interior  Search this
Home Furnishings\Furniture\Seating\Bench  Search this
Charlotte Saunders Cushman: Female  Search this
Charlotte Saunders Cushman: Performing Arts\Performer\Actor\Stage actor  Search this
Portrait  Search this
Credit Line:
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Object number:
NPG.72.15
Restrictions & Rights:
CC0
See more items in:
National Portrait Gallery Collection
Exhibition:
Out of Many: Portraits from 1600 to 1900
On View:
NPG, East Gallery 124
Data Source:
National Portrait Gallery
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm40284738c-8549-400f-a1d5-427417ccfa35
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npg_NPG.72.15