Ticket for the Benefit of Spiller, the Player
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Mrs. George A. Kubler
Accession Number
1949-152-80
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
This 1794 print by English artist Samuel Ireland serves as a tangible reminder of late eighteenth-century theater culture. Created as a ticket for the benefit of Spiller, the Player, the work likely supported a special performance whose proceeds went directly to the featured actor—a common practice that helped performers supplement modest salaries. Ireland, active during a period when printmaking flourished as both an art form and a means of public communication, produced works that captured the vibrancy of London’s stage life. Though the medium remains unspecified, its classification as a pr...