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The Three Witches from 'Macbeth'

Image credit: National Portrait Gallery, London

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The sculptor Anne Seymour Damer and the political hostesses Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire and Elizabeth Viscountess Melbourne are here depicted as the three witches from Macbeth. All three women loved amateur dramatics and were involved in productions at the private theatre at Althorp, Georgiana's country estate. Whereas Lady Melbourne had been friends with Anne Seymour Damer since the early 1770s, the friendship with Georgiana was fairly recent and this pastel may in part be related to Melbourne's desire to publicise their friendship. Their portrayal as Macbeth's witches also hints at their political influence, as the witches in the play encourage Macbeth to seize power. From 1776, Georgiana was the hostess of the most influential political salon in England and these three women were keen supporters of Charles James Fox, who was probably Georgiana's lover.

National Portrait Gallery, London

London

Title

The Three Witches from 'Macbeth'

Date

1775

Medium

gouache & chalk on paper

Measurements

H 94 x W 79 cm

Accession number

6903

Acquisition method

accepted in lieu of tax by HM Government and allocated to the National Portrait Gallery, 2011

Work type

Watercolour

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National Portrait Gallery, London

St Martin’s Place, London, Greater London WC2H 0HE England

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