Ellen Terry as Lady Macbeth
- Artist: John Singer Sargent
- Date: 1889
- Medium: Oil paint on canvas
- Dimensions: support: 2210 x 1143 mm
- Museum: Tate Britain
- Collection record: Tate Britain website
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About this artwork
This is the “Ellen Terry as Lady Macbeth” by John Singer Sargent, painted in 1889. In the opening night of Sir Henry Irving’s 1888 production of *Macbeth*, Sargent was struck by the star actress Ellen Terry’s stage presence. He persuaded her to sit for a portrait in character, but he didn’t simply copy what was onstage – he invented a dramatic pose that never appears in the play. In the canvas Terry is reaching for the crown of King Duncan, her hand poised mid‑air, an act of power that adds a sense of tension and anticipation.
Her dress is a show‑stopper. Designed by Alice Comyns Carr and finished by Mrs Nettleship, it’s a gold‑embroidered green garment studded with flecks of cobalt blue. Those tiny blue spots mimic the wings of jewel beetles that were actually stitched into the fabric, adding a touch of the uncanny to the dramatic scene. The painting captures the glittering stage costume and Terry’s raw‑boned, Northern‑flair features, creating a striking portrait that feels both theatrical and intimate. The work, presented to the public in 1889 and later given to Sir Joseph Duveen in 1906, remains a vivid snapshot of Victorian drama and portrait artistry.
See it in person
Ellen Terry as Lady Macbeth is in the collection of Tate Britain on Millbank, 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.
