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Master Burke as Master Socrates Camelion

ca. 1827
Not on view
Considered a wonder of the stage, and known as the "Irish Roscius," the boy actor Joseph Burke appears here as one of six characters he performed in "The March of Intellect" at the Surrey Theatre, London between 1827 and 1830. This show premiered when Burke was just nine and included dancing, music and various accents. The character shown in this print is a boy of eight (i.e. closest to the actor when the show debuted), and the others included an Irishman, a lawyer, an Italian violinist, a British seaman and Napoleon. A contemporary writer raved, "he is an immense favorite; in fact he might be termed one of the wonders of the world...His performance throughout (save the dancing and violin) appear to be intuitive...in so young a child we never saw any thing like so much mind before...he is quite a master of his art, the stage is completely his own" (see 17.3.888-1074 to 17.3.888-1078 for the other characters).

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Master Burke as Master Socrates Camelion
  • Etcher: (?) Isaac Robert Cruikshank (British, London 1789–1856 London)
  • Engraver: (?) Piercy Roberts (British, active 1795–1827)
  • Artist: After Thomas Charles Wageman (British, 1787–1868)
  • Publisher: William Kenneth (British, active 1820s–1830s)
  • Subject: Joseph Burke (Irish, Dublin 1818–1902)
  • Author: Related dramatist George Macfarren (British, 1788–1843)
  • Date: ca. 1827
  • Medium: Etching and aquatint, hand-colored
  • Dimensions: Plate: 9 3/4 × 6 5/16 in. (24.8 × 16 cm)
    Sheet: 10 3/4 × 7 3/16 in. (27.3 × 18.2 cm)
  • Classification: Prints
  • Credit Line: Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1917
  • Object Number: 17.3.756-1079
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

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