Lot 18: - Francis Hayman, R.A. , c.1708-1776 Portrait of a Lady oil on canvas, unframed

full length, seated wearing a blue dress and white cap, a bust of Shakespeare behind oil on canvas, unframed

measurements note 61 by 49 cm., 24 by 19 1/4 in.

THE PROPERTY OF A PRIVATE EUROPEAN COLLECTION
We are grateful to Dr Brian Allen for pointing out that the presence of the bust of Shakespeare in this portrait might suggest that the sitter was a member of the Shakespeare Ladies Club. Set up late in 1736, at a time when the popularity of pantomine and foreign opera was threatening to almost banish Shakespeare's works from the London stage, the aims of the club was to persuade theatrical managers to bring to the stage many more of the bard's plays. The club was astonishingly active in the next couple of years. In February 1737 King John and Much Ado About Nothing were re-introduced to Covent Garden and in March a letter from the ghosts of four great dramatists including Shakespeare, in the Grub Street Journal proclaimed; "Tis a Great Pleasure for us to hear, that the Ladies have begun to encourage Common Sense; which makes us hope that the theatres will follow their example." The result of their efforts was to make Shakespeare fashionable and thus to prepare the ground for Garrick's debut in 1741 as Richard III.