Porträt Susanna Maria Cibber (1714-1766)

The leaf, made in the elaborate technique of mezzotinto, places the chest of the cibbers in an oval frame. The singer does not look at the viewer. Her head is slightly turned to the right. Some neck curls of their dark hair fall on the right shoulder. The rich silk dress, which breaks down and creases in countless wrinkles, is adorned by a bow at the deep neckline. If John Faber had chosen Thomas Hudson’s (National Portrait Gallery London) painting, he made quite advantageous changes in the overall composition as well as in some details (view, hairstyle, renunciation of pearl jewelry) compared to the original. The Mezzo-soprano Cibber, sister of composer Thomas Arne, was famous in her time not only because of the mature accompanying conditions of her late marriage. Her singing was celebrated as unusually beautiful. As a young woman, she was already involved in a performance of Handel’s “Acis and Galatea.” Händel, who valued her powerful voice and intrusive design, used it several times in his oratorio performances until her change to the speech theater. She sang the Altsolo in the premiere of the “Messiah” in Dublin in 1742 and the Micah in the premiere of the “Samson” at the London Theatre Royal in 1743. The caption in a sweeping graphic design is: Mrs. Cibber Below the picture are the signatures (on the left:) T. Hudson pinxt., (on the right:) J. Faber fecit 1746. At the bottom of the sheet is a sales notice: Price 1s-6d. Sold by J. Faber at the Golden Head in Bloomsbury Square. Signature: T. Hudson pinxt J. Faber fecit 1746. Price ls 6 d. Sold by J. Faber at the Golden Head in Bloomsbury Square. Caption: Mrs Cibber. (Stiftung Händel-Haus Halle Foundation)