Bernard Shaw rehearsing "Arms and the Man"
Sir John Bernard Partridge (London 1861 - 1945)
Category
Art / Prints
Date
1894
Materials
Paper
Measurements
16 ins (h)11.5 ins (w)
Order this imageCollection
Shaw's Corner, Hertfordshire
NT 1274696
Summary
A print depicting Bernard Shaw rehearsing his early play "Arms and the Man" in April 1894 at The Avenue Theatre, London, by the artist Bernard Partridge (1861-1945). As the actor “Bernard Gould”, Partridge played the part of Sergius Saranoff in Arms and the Man. A young Shaw on stage, seen from left, holding a script, wearing suit and small-brimmed hat. To his right a plain wooden table on which are pen, ink and paper. Behind him, a gas flare.
Full description
A print depicting Bernard Shaw rehearsing his early play "Arms and the Man" in April 1894 at The Avenue Theatre, London, by the artist Bernard Partridge (who as the actor “Bernard Gould” played the part of Sergius Saranoff in Arms and the Man). The print is a lithographic proof, taken from the initial monochrome pen & ink and watercolour drawing, and prepared for publication in The Sketch magazine (25 April 1894), which Shaw then inscribed prior to framing. The Sketch gave the title: ‘Mr. George Bernard Shaw at the rehearsal of his play at the Avenue Theatre.’ Partridge added the words “Ahenobarbus at rehearsal” (“Ahenobarbus’ was a reference to Shaw’s red beard and the politician of ancient Rome). And Shaw signed the print ‘G. Bernard Shaw’; and at lower right: ‘Rehearsing “Arms and the Man” at the Avenue Theatre in 1894. Drawn by Sergius Saranoff, alias Bernard Gould, alias Partridge.’ Partridge painted two versions of the portrait. The first was a monochrome drawing called ‘George Bernard Shaw: Ahenobarbus at Rehearsal’ in pen-and-ink, crayon and watercolour wash, made in 1894 specifically for the lithographic reproduction in The Sketch magazine, from which the present work derives. This original drawing by Partridge was in fact owned by the Shaws, and was displayed in Charlotte’s bedroom at their London flat at Adelphi Terrace. The drawing is now in the archives of the Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas at Austin (Art Collection, 67.66). It was described in the Adelphi Terrace Inventory as a ‘portrait of G. Bernard Shaw Esq., rehearsing “Arms and the Man” at the Avenue Theatre in the character of S. Saranoff – drawing by Sir B. Gould.’ (Adelphi Terrace Inventory, 1908, 49). This drawing was reproduced in Archibald Henderson, Bernard Shaw: Playboy and Prophet (facing page 474). Henderson states that the drawing depicted Shaw on 21 April 1894. The second version of the portrait was a more finished watercolour painting, now at the National Portrait Gallery, London (NPG 4229. (Reproduced in Stanley Weintraub, ‘In the Picture Galleries’, in The Genius of Shaw, pp.56-57). Shaw first met Bernard Partridge in1886 at the Salon Parisien in London, when he was an art critic. Partridge would later become the chief cartoonist for Punch magazine, and drew several portraits of Shaw over the years. (Alice McEwan, 2020)
Provenance
The Shaw Collection. The house and contents were bequeathed to the National Trust by George Bernard Shaw in 1950, together with Shaw's photographic archive.
Marks and inscriptions
In print at bottom right by Bernard Partridge: "Ahenobarbus at Rehearsal." Signed below print, left - "G. Bernard Shaw." In Shaw's hand writing below print, right - "Rehearsing 'Arms and the Man' at the Avenue Theatre in 1894. Drawn by Sergius Saranoff, alias Bernard Gould, alias Partridge." On wooden backing board, framer's label (Henry T. Murcott, London) and number 103.
Makers and roles
Sir John Bernard Partridge (London 1861 - 1945), artist