Who painted Mr Suett as Dicky Gossip in 'My Grandmother'?

Mr Suett as Dicky Gossip in 'My Grandmother' was painted by Samuel De Wilde in 1799.

Where can I see Mr Suett as Dicky Gossip in 'My Grandmother'?

Mr Suett as Dicky Gossip in 'My Grandmother' is held by Ashmolean Museum.

What movement is Mr Suett as Dicky Gossip in 'My Grandmother'?

Mr Suett as Dicky Gossip in 'My Grandmother' is associated with Dutch Golden Age.

Artwork

Mr Suett as Dicky Gossip in 'My Grandmother'

Samuel De Wilde , 1799

Mr Suett as Dicky Gossip in 'My Grandmother' is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Samuel De Wilde. It dates from 1799 and is held in the collection of the Ashmolean Museum.

About this work

Overview

The portrait presents the actor standing before a modest interior, his posture and costume indicating a stage character rather than a private likeness.

Samuel De Wilde’s 1799 oil painting captures a theatrical figure known as Mr Suett in the role of Dicky Gossip from the comedy *My Grandmother*. The portrait presents the actor standing before a modest interior, his posture and costume indicating a stage character rather than a private likeness. De Wilde, a London‑based portraitist of Dutch heritage, specialized in portraying performers during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.

Subject & Meaning

The sitter is depicted in a grey coat, black waistcoat and white shirt, with a brown apron tied at the waist and a wig of white hair, holding a hat in his right hand. His pale, startled expression suggests a moment of comic surprise, aligning with the mischievous nature of the Dicky Gossip role. The setting—a fireplace and chair—provides a domestic backdrop that frames the theatrical persona within an everyday space.

Technique & Style

Executed in oil on canvas, the work employs a restrained palette of greys, blacks and muted earth tones typical of British portraiture of the period. De Wilde renders the fabric and textures with careful brushwork, while the lighting from the fireplace creates subtle chiaroscuro that models the figure’s face and costume. The overall composition balances realism with the theatricality inherent in the subject’s costume and pose.

History & Provenance

Created at the height of De Wilde’s reputation as the foremost painter of actors between 1770 and 1820, the portrait entered the collection of the Ashmolean Museum, where it remains on display. Its acquisition reflects the museum’s interest in documenting the visual culture of London’s stage and the artists who recorded it.

Artist & collection

Artist

Samuel De Wilde

Samuel De Wilde (1751 – 19 January 1832), born and died in London, was a portrait painter and etcher of Dutch descent famous for his theatrical paintings.