Porträt Susanna Maria Cibber (1714-1766)

Portrait of Susanna Maria Cibber. In this depiction, the English actress is depicted as a whole figure facing left. She stands head-on, her upper body turns to the left and she seems to look at something, as her view goes up slightly. Her arms move like in dance. She wears an artfully staggered dress and a hide-up hairstyle with feathers and a woven braid that she put around her shoulder. According to the inscription, this is the sixth scene of the fifth act of “The Orphan,” in which she took over the role of Monimia. Cibber was known not only as an actress but also as a singer. Her brother was composer Thomas Arne and she married Theophilus Cibber, the son of Colley Cibber, who managed the Drury Lane Theatre in 1734. An admirer of her talent was Georg Friedrich Händel, he even wrote numerous games for her, including the old voice for the oratorio “Messiah” of 1741. She was very popular with the audience because of her acting talent and became one of the most celebrated actresses of the 18th century in London. The British Museum has a leaf of this specimen, as well as the University of Illinois in its Theatrical Print Collection. The paper is said to have been used as a frontispiece for John Bell’s 1776 British theater, Blatt of the most esteemed English plays. Signature: Publish 'd for Bells British Theatre Sept.r 1.th 1776. Caption: M.rs Cibber in the Character of Monimia. Read 'st thou not something in my Face that Read wonderful Change and Horror from within me? The Orphan. Act.V. Scene 6. Watermark: present on the right edge of the leaf (zeichen Händel-Haus Halle Foundation)