Actresses

I first mentioned the National Portrait Gallery's autumn biggy The First Actresses: Nell Gwyn to Sarah Siddons back in June, when the gallery acquired Daniel Gardner's The Three Witches from Shakespeare's Macbeth (CLICK). The exhibition opens on 20 October. The bad news is the price: £11 adults and £10 silver surfers (title link). The good news is there will be a free display of portraits of contemporary British actresses in rooms 41 and 41a to coincide with the main exhibition: The Actress Now (CLICK for a BBC News slide show). Above is newcomer Natalie Dormer, who starred in The Tudors on TV. Left is John Hoppner's portrait of Mary Robinson as Perdita (1782).