Title: Peg Woffington and John Rich Artist: after Frederick Smallfield (British, 1829 –r 1915) Engraver: George C Finden (British, 1811-1885). Media: antique steel engraving. Published by: G.S. Virtue for The Art Journal en 1849 Condition: in good condition. Size: 32,5x23 cms.; Description: Margaret Woffington was the celebrated young actress of eighteenth century theatre and John Rich was the slightly batty and wonderfully eccentric manager of the Covent Garden Theatre; in 1864 The Dublin University Magazine provided the following account of when Peg met Rich: ‘She now sought the renowned John Rich, patentee and manager of Covent Garden Theatre, the inventor and Emperor of Pantomimes, the Lun of the play-bills, and the unrivalled Harlequin of the public. She paid eighteen [some sources say that it was nineteen] visits to his official den without obtaining admittance, or announcing who she was. On the nineteenth, she said to the janitor, tell your master my name is Woffington, that I came to ask for an engagement and shall come no more. The name opened the hitherto closed portal. “Is she an Irishwoman?” said the monarch to his cerberus. “She talks like a furriner,” was the reply. “What is she like?” “More like a hangel than any woman as ever I seed.” “Show her up.” And in another minute she stood in the presence.; ‘Our heroine found Rich lolling at unrestrained ease on a sofa, with a play-book in his left hand, and a china cup in the other from which he sipped tea. Around and about him were seven-and-twenty cats of different sizes at play, toms and tabbies, tortoiseshells and brindles, white, black, and red ; some staring at him, some eating the toast out of his mouth, some licking milk from a saucer, some frisking, others demurely seated on the floor, and others perched on his shoulders, arms, knees, and even on his head. A grimalkin instead of a laurel wreath formed a more suitable crown for the magician of pantomime. And what did he look upon when he roused himself to receive his visitor? He saw standing before him, drawn up to her full height, and taller than the ordinary standard, a beautiful woman, who had completed her twentieth year, faultless in form and feature, graceful and majestic as Juno, lovely as Venus, fresh aud animated as Hebe. No painting could emulate the richness and delicacy of her complexion. Her eyes were black, of the darkest brilliancy, yet beaming with expressive lustre. Her eyebrows arched and endowed with flexibility which greatly increased the expression of her other features. Her nose gently aquiline, and her dark tresses, unstained by powder, playing in luxuriant gracefulness on her neck and shoulders. It was fortunate for the domestic happiness of Mr. and Mrs. John Rich that he was not of a susceptible temperament, not given over to the thraldom of tender emotions. Had it been otherwise, he would have found it difficult to retain equanimity enough to arrange a business negotiation with the amalgamated Calypso, Circe, and Armida, who dazzled his eyes and even caused his purring familiars to check their gambols. A more fascinating daughter of Eve never presented herself to the critical eye of a manager in search after rare commodities’.

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