Mr. Mathews at Home
Isaac Robert Cruikshank British
Publisher John Limbird British
Subject Charles Mathews British
Not on view
Mathews was an acclaimed comic actor hugely popular in London between 1818 and 1834. His talents for mimicry, facial and physical contortion, and ventriloquism were used to embody multiple characters and poke fun at a range of social and national types. His annual "At Homes" (one-man theatrical performances that presented roles in quick succession) featured a range of accents, quick costume changes, and songs and were avidly anticipated theatrical events each Spring. This print shows four of his popular characters: Mr. Ab Llywelynab Llwyd (an overweight Welshman and regular visitor to spas where he attempted to reduce), the Old Scotch Woman (one of Mathew's most popular inventions), the French Valet (as a ventriloquest); and the French Postilion.