Mr. Quick as Vellum in Addison's Drummer

CC0 Public Domain Designation

1792

Samuel De Wilde (English, 1748–1832)

This painting belongs to a sequence of portraits by Samuel De Wilde depicting famous British actors performing their best-known roles. Designed to serve as the model for a print marketed to the general public, the painting is a significant artifact in the historical development of celebrity culture. The subject of the portrait, John Quick, was among the most acclaimed comic actors of his generation and is shown here in the role of Vellum from Joseph Addison’s 1716 play, The Drummer. With a ruddy complexion and wig humorously askew, Quick is shown in the act of performing, seated in a spare interior and glancing stage left, perhaps at another character about to enter.

Status: On View, Gallery 217
Department: Painting and Sculpture of Europe

Artist: Samuel De Wilde
Title: Mr. Quick as Vellum in Addison's Drummer
Place: England (Artist's nationality:)
Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.: 1792
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 36.8 × 27.9 cm (14 1/2 × 11 in.)
Credit Line: Purchased with funds provided by Kay Krehbiel, Lisbeth Stiffel, Rosemarie and Dean L. Buntrock, Richard and Nancy Spain, and The David Horn Family
Reference Number: 2020.59
IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world. Learn more.: https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/256186/manifest.json

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

Suggested Terms

On View

Date:

Artist:

About this artwork

Status

Department

Artist

Title

Place

Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Medium

Dimensions

Credit Line

Reference Number

IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world. Learn more.

Extended information about this artwork

Share

Explore Further

Sign up for our enewsletter to receive updates.

Gallery actions

Image actions

Share

IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.