The First Actresses

Nice exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery tracing the lives of the earliest actresses and how the profession developed.

It started with risqué pictures of Nell Gwynn then looked at the actresses of Covent Garden in the 18th century who started to take on breaches rolls but were sometimes also prostitutes but also began to be writers and business women.

The middle gallery looked at the actress as muse and how they became popular subjects in Royal Academy picture so of the time in their various theatrical roles.

A fun gallery looked at actresses in character plus the role of amateur dramatics amongst the aristocracy.

It was definitely an exhibition that you left wanting to find out more.

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