Dighton (Denis)

, Dighton, 1811.
a gently caricatured equestrian portrait of the actress, Nannette Johnston, known as Miss Parker before her marriage to Henry Erskine Johnston. She is depicted on horseback in long skirt, armoured bodice and gloves, and high headdress of spiked crown, emblematic dragon and exotic feathers, in the role of Zorila. ‘Timour the Tartar’, by Matthew ‘Monk’ Lewis (1775-1818), featured the territorially ambitious 14th century warrior descendant of Genghis Khan, otherwise known as Timur the Lame or Tamburlaine, was intended as a caricature of Napoleon and his drive to conquer Europe. It was a highly entertaining ‘hippodrama’, thought to be the first play written specifically to feature live horses on stage. Whilst not taken seriously by critics, it very successfully blended circus entertainment with traditional costume theatre. It opened at the end of April, or beginning of May, 1811, (this print was published in June), and had a very long run by popular demand. A year later, it opened in New York at the Olympia, now known as the Anthony Street Theatre, where it met with equal acclaim..
340 by 260mm (13½ by 10¼ inches).