Portrait of 18th century ‘body shamed’ actress Sarah Siddons to go on sale

An 18th century portrait painting of arguably Britain’s first ‘body shamed’ actress has been discovered – and it’s set to go on sale.

Sarah Siddons was the most famous stage star of her generation who shone in Shakespearean roles, in particular Lady Macbeth.

The buxom actress was painted at the height of her fame by Sir Thomas Lawrence for a work which was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1797.

But mean-spirited critics said it was ‘overly flattering’ and made her look far younger than her 42 years.

One commented: ‘We have here youth, flexibility of feature, and an attempt at the formation of beauty, to denote a lady who is so proverbially stern in her countenance that it approaches savageness.’

Rumours even spread that the favourable portrayal was because Siddons and Lawrence, who painted her 14 times, were in a relationship.

Siddons put on a lot of weight in later life and once even got stuck in a chair while playing Queen Catherine in a performance of Henry VIII.

Her size was mocked in cruel 19th century satirical cartoons in echoes of today’s ‘fat shaming’.

The 36ins by 28ins oil on canvas painting has emerged for sale for £12,000 at auctioneers Woolley & Wallis, of Salisbury, Wilts.

It has been consigned from a British private collection.

Victor Fauvelle, paintings specialist at Woolley & Wallis, said: ‘Siddons was, by all accounts, an actress of considerable acclaim and talent who not only made the role of Lady Macbeth her own, but who played Hamlet multiple times up until the age of 50.’

He added that this was a ‘remarkable feat’, explaining that this is because of the ‘complexities of cross-gendered roles in the 18th century theatre world’.

‘Many people believe that celebrity culture is a modern phenomenon,’ Victor Fauvelle continued.

Sarah Siddons (whose portrait will go on sale next week) was the most famous stage star of her generation who shone in Shakespearean roles

Mean-spirited critics said that this portrait, which was painted when Sarah was 42-years-old, made her look younger than she was at the time

‘But Sarah Siddons had just as much cachet 250 years ago as someone like Kim Kardashian might have today. 

‘Sadly, that meant she was also subject to the harsh criticisms that many of today’s public figures attract.

‘Satirical cartoons of the 19th century presented Siddons in a far from flattering light and were a long way from the oil paintings that recorded her during her heyday.

‘This portrait by Sir Thomas Lawrence shows a woman in her prime, painted by a man who clearly adored her.’

The sale takes place on March 8.