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195:. He appears conflicted and hesitates between them, starting to transform from a tragic playwright into a comedian. Tragedy grabs Garrick's wrist with one hand and raises her other hand. Comedy is framed by a field and sky as she pulls on Garrick's arm. The painting has motifs similar to 18th-century theatrical frontispieces depicting the Muses of Tragedy and Comedy: the Muse of Tragedy has a dagger and raises one arm, and the Muse of Comedy holds a mask in her left hand.
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has to choose between Virtue and
Pleasure. Reynolds' painting parodied this scene in that, whereas Hercules ultimately chooses the more modestly dressed Virtue, Garrick starts to succumb to the more immodestly dressed muse of Comedy. It also differs from traditional compositions of this scene, which
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clothing. Tragedy wears a strong blue dress, with her head and arms covered as if in mourning. Comedy smiles at the viewer, while
Tragedy looks sternly at Garrick. Comedy is in dappled light, while Tragedy is strongly lit from above, with a dark background. The side of Garrick's face towards Comedy
331:", meaning "he knows how to give to each what is appropriate". In 1764, Reynolds requested copies of this print to give to his admirers. The print was copied and pirated, producing at least fourteen different mezzotints. One of these prints, which was sold in France in 1765, had the inscription
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Reynolds has drawn a large picture of three figures to the knees, the thought taken by
Garrick from the judgment of Hercules. It represents Garrick between Tragedy and Comedy. The former exhorts him to follow her exalted vocation, but Comedy drags him away, and he seems to yield willingly, though
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endeavouring to excuse himself, and pleading that he is forced. Tragedy is a good antique figure, but wants more dignity in the expression of her face. Comedy is a beautiful and winning girl–but
Garrick's face is distorted, and burlesque. Lord Halifax has given him £300 for it!
259:. In 1761, the same year Reynolds finished his painting of Garrick, a pamphlet with the signatures of the Muses of Comedy and Tragedy praised Garrick's theatrical achievements. The historian David Mannings has suggested that the painting's composition was inspired by
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alludes to the painting when the two main characters
Tragedy and Comedy enter into a dispute, and the character Harlequin interjects and argues the audience prefers him over both of them. The painting possibly helped inspire
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called it
Reynolds's "first attempt in historical composition". The painting had a mixed reception when it was first published, with some arguing it showed Reynolds' painting skills, while others disagreed.
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depicting a disloyal man and two women. The comparison went viral and eventually, other social media users started using the painting as a meme similar to the distracted boyfriend meme.
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as an example of educational and moral art. The painting shows
Reynolds moving away from strict portraiture, symbolized by Tragedy, to more witty iconography, symbolized by Comedy.
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was famous as both a tragedian and comedian, and his earliest known association with the Muses of
Tragedy and Comedy was in a 1747 poem by
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costume, against a rural landscape with a field and woodland. He stands between the Muse of Comedy, known as
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Barrett, Katy (November 2012), "'An
Argument in Paint': Reynolds and Garrick between Tragedy and Comedy",
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Reynolds made this painting mainly in 1760–1761, around the same time he was working on a portrait of
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imagery, with its clothing, light, and shadow. Comedy has slightly tousled fair hair, resembling the
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Clayton, Tim (2005), "'Figures of Fame': Reynolds and the
Printed Image", in Postle, Martin (ed.),
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Postle, Martin (1995), "Several types of ambiguity: historical portraiture and history painting",
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for the painting in 1762 before he exhibited it in May 1762 at the Society of Artists in 1762 as
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The differences between the two Muses are both formal and iconographic. Comedy is painted in the
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The painting became one of Reynolds's most studied and well-known works. On 16 April 2018, a
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is smiling and illuminated, while other side is in shadows as he looks worriedly at Tragedy.
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Powell, Nicolas (June 1952), "Fuseli: 'The Infant Shakespeare between Tragedy and Comedy'",
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Art historians often compare the painting to a scene in Greek mythology in which the god
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Mannings, David (Spring 1984), "Reynolds, Garrick, and the Choice of Hercules",
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Mongrel Forms: Tragedy, Comedy, and Mixed Genres in Britain, 1680–1760
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user called the painting "the 18th century equivalent" of the
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David Garrick stands in the centre of the painting wearing an
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Wind, Edgar (1943), "Harlequin between Tragedy and Comedy",
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Sir Joshua Reynolds: A Complete Catalogue of His Paintings
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Mr. Garrick, between two muses of tragedy and comedy
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329:Reddere personae scit convenientia cuique
873:David Garrick Between Tragedy and Comedy
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535:Visual Culture in Britain
356:The Theatrical Candidates
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857:Portrait of Robert Orme
717:The Burlington Magazine
226:. She wears washed-out
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800:Davis, Vivian (2012).
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372:distracted boyfriend
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978:(1780–1781)
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908:(1769–1770)
451:: 259–283,
149:Description
1138:Categories
1081:Wick House
630:0521420660
501:0300085338
386:References
319:created a
261:Guido Reni
248:Background
212:Guido Reni
849:Paintings
702:195035285
680:: 224–5,
555:153992851
321:mezzotint
297:print by
295:Mezzotint
222:drawn by
220:bacchante
193:Melpomene
83:Melpomene
1123:The Club
1071:(sister)
1065:(sister)
1059:(sister)
236:Hercules
216:Augustan
97:Location
64:Movement
1050:Related
782:27 July
755:24 July
465:2738169
414:27 July
368:Twitter
243:History
131:Tragedy
79:Subject
53: (
1101:statue
1042:(1790)
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339:Legacy
200:rococo
189:Thalia
135:Comedy
91:Thalia
69:Rococo
38:Artist
983:Thaïs
726:JSTOR
698:S2CID
690:JSTOR
551:S2CID
461:JSTOR
447:(3),
228:mauve
127:Muses
784:2018
757:2018
654:ISBN
625:ISBN
592:ISBN
496:ISBN
416:2018
409:Tate
133:and
55:1761
51:1761
48:Year
682:doi
543:doi
453:doi
274:by
263:'s
129:of
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