Women From History BOT~ Courtesans, Dorothea Jordan ~
Dorothea Jordan (1761—1816) was an actress and courtesan, especially famed for her high-spirited comedy and tomboy roles.
Jordan’s mother, Grace Phillips, who was also known as Mrs. Frances was a Dublin actress. She made her stage debut in 1777 in Dublin as Phoebe in As You Like It, and in 1779 she played in Henry Fielding’s farce The Virgin Unmasked at the Crow Street Theatre, Dublin. She then acted with the provincial company of Tate Wilkinson until 1785, when she played in London. She retired in 1814.
Dorothea had a daughter by her first manager in Dublin, 3 children by Richard Ford, and 10 children by the duke of Clarence (later William IV). The children by the duke were ennobled. When she and the duke separated by mutual consent in 1811, she received a handsome allowance. In 1815 she went to France and died there the following year.
She was also a model and the subject of portraits by Sir Joshua Reynolds, Thomas Gainsborough, and George Romney.
Painting : Dorothea Jordan as Hippolyta, by John Hoppner
#art #arthistory #history #womenshistory #womenofhistory #historyofwomen #womenfromhistory #painting
Dorothea Jordan (1761—1816) was an actress and courtesan, especially famed for her high-spirited comedy and tomboy roles.
Jordan’s mother, Grace Phillips, who was also known as Mrs. Frances was a Dublin actress. She made her stage debut in 1777 in Dublin as Phoebe in As You Like It, and in 1779 she played in Henry Fielding’s farce The Virgin Unmasked at the Crow Street Theatre, Dublin. She then acted with the provincial company of Tate Wilkinson until 1785, when she played in London. She retired in 1814.
Dorothea had a daughter by her first manager in Dublin, 3 children by Richard Ford, and 10 children by the duke of Clarence (later William IV). The children by the duke were ennobled. When she and the duke separated by mutual consent in 1811, she received a handsome allowance. In 1815 she went to France and died there the following year.
She was also a model and the subject of portraits by Sir Joshua Reynolds, Thomas Gainsborough, and George Romney.
Painting : Dorothea Jordan as Hippolyta, by John Hoppner
#art #arthistory #history #womenshistory #womenofhistory #historyofwomen #womenfromhistory #painting
