Charlotte Jane Chapman as Augusta Aubrey in Cumberland's 'The Fashionable Lover'
- Artist: John Bell
- Artist: Samuel De Wilde
- Artist: Joseph Thornthwaite
- Date: 1793
- Medium: etching
- Dimensions: Long Term Loan
- Portrays: Charlotte Jane Chapman
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This is an 1793 etching by Joseph Thornthwaite, published by John Bell from a drawing by Samuel De Wilde. You’ll see Charlotte Jane Chapman’s face framed by a simple hat and the dark, smooth lines of her dress – typical of a painted portrait but rendered in ink. The composition places her head to the left, giving a slightly turned profile that lets you catch the subtle expression on her lips.
Charlotte was an actress‑singer born in 1762, famed for her roles in the theatre’s popular comedies. In this print she appears as Augusta Aubrey from Cumberland’s “The Fashionable Lover,” a character that would have been familiar to contemporary audiences. The etching captures that moment with the crisp line work of Thornthwaite, while Bell’s 19‑Jan‑1793 publication brought it to collectors and performers alike.
See it in person
Charlotte Jane Chapman as Augusta Aubrey in Cumberland's 'The Fashionable Lover' is in the collection of The National Portrait Gallery at St Martin's Place, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
