Frances Anne ​“Fanny” Kemble

Copied Henry Brintnell Bounetheau, Thomas Sully, Frances Anne "Fanny" Kemble, ca. 1833, watercolor on ivory, sight 2 1⁄2 x 3 1⁄4 in. (6.4 x 8.2 cm) rectangle, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Henry Du Pré Bounetheau, 1946.3.18
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Frances Anne ​“Fanny” Kemble
Artists
Copy after Thomas Sully
Date
ca. 1833
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
sight 2 1⁄2 x 3 1⁄4 in. (6.4 x 8.2 cm) rectangle
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Henry Du Pré Bounetheau
Mediums
Mediums Description
watercolor on ivory
Classifications
Subjects
  • Portrait female — Kemble, Frances Anne — bust
Object Number
1946.3.18
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1946.3.18

Artwork Description

Frances Anne “Fanny” Kemble (1809-1893) was a noted actress, and this miniature is a copy after a painting of her made by Thomas Sully. Sully painted Kemble thirteen times, and in this pose she appears in character as Beatrice from Shakespeare’s play Much Ado About Nothing. Kemble married Philadelphian Pierce Butler in 1834, but their marriage ended in divorce a few years later after frequent clashes over the issue of slavery. Conservation of this miniature was made possible through a generous grant provided by the Smithsonian Women’s Committee.