Sarah Siddons of feminine propriety. Commissioned and completed in 1784, Sir Joshua Reynolds' portrait, "Sarah Siddons as The Tragic Muse", is characterized by Reynolds' inspiration, contextualisation of the Muse, and distinctive brush work and paint palette. This portrait, as Heather McPherson writes, became the known depiction of tragedy, infused with contemporary ideas about acting and representation of the passions in Siddons' melancholy expression and deportment. Mary Hamilton's correspondence with her fiancé illuminated its seamless transition from "the artist's studio to the theatrical stage", practical venues that interlocked in the eighteenth century and formed a large part in creating the very idea of
Mary Frances Scott-Siddons grace of person contributed more to her success than her histrionic talent, and though a spirited and thoroughly natural actress, she lacked the technical training and necessary vigor. In her readings she was more successful. She played in New York City in 1868, and was not well received, nor were her subsequent appearances in London successful. In 1872, she starred in the United States and Australia with mediocre success. It was as a dramatic reader that Scott-Siddons achieved her greatest fame. Her work was characterized by vast intelligence and clearness of interpretation. Her utterance was rapid, and in a clear,