08 Aug Comic Actress Elizabeth Farren
Elizabeth Farren was the great comic actress of 18th century London. She was the mistress of the Earl of Derby and when his wife died, he married her, so she became the Countess of Derby. Don’t imagine that this put their relationship beyond the aim of jokes, cartoons, etc. Quite the opposite: they were favorite objects of every kind of lampoon, as in this cartoon by Thomas Rowlandson, which emphasizes Farren’s height and Derby’s shortness…. Curious about the Shady Ladies of history? Come on our tours of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and have fun while learning about them….
