L.J. Binns
Drawing
May one see it?
Not receiving at present
Victoria and Albert Museum
London, United Kingdom
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- 7 days ago
- In this state since
- Sep 25, 2026
- Source
- The museum's own collection data
About the work
Watercolour drawing by L.J. Binns, showing the actor/ manager Sir Henry Irving (1838-1905) as Richard III. Undated.
Henry Irving first played the role of Richard III in January 1877. He played him as a blustering bully or, as Clement Scott described it: 'a truculent tyrant, who stamped about the stage in scarlet doublet and flapping russet boots, and black ringlet wig and bushy eyebrows, supposed to symbolize in their hue the darkness of his deeds of villainy'. Scott thought his Richard was Irving's greatest triumph as an actor: 'intelligent, carefully wrought and convincing'.
The caption, 'Henry Irving', suggests that the drawing shows Irving when he first played the role, before he received his knighthood in 1895, and therefore before the revival of Richard III at the Lyceum Theatre in 1896.
Victoria and Albert Museum
Particulars
- Accession number
- S.930-2012
What it shows
In the catalog
Sources
- Victoria and Albert Museum: the museum's own open data · fetched 7 days ago
- Image: Victoria and Albert Museum — © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
