Charles Kemble
- Artist: Theophilus Clarke
- Artist: William Ridley
- Artist: Vernor & Hood
- Date: 1802
- Medium: stipple engraving
- Dimensions: Long Term Loan
- Portrays: Charles Kemble
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This is a stipple engraving of Charles Kemble. The image was produced by William Ridley for the publisher Vernor & Hood on 31 May 1802, based on a portrait by Theophilus Clarke. The engraving uses tiny dots to build tone and texture: fine stippling gives depth to the face and the hair, while darker areas show shadow under the jawline. You’ll notice Kemble’s slightly turned head and that thoughtful gaze that captures his theatrical temperament. He was an actor‑manager and playwright who lived from 1775 to 1854. The print is part of a set of thirty‑one portraits circulated in books at the time, showing how portraiture moved into the printed press. In short: it’s a crisp black‑and‑white capture of a stage‑world personality, rendered with precision through stipple engraving, and published by Vernor & Hood as a 1802 print.
See it in person
Charles Kemble 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.
