Painting of the Day: The Rival Performers, 1839

The Rival Performers
John Callcott Horsley
1839
The Victoria & Albert Museum

John Callcott Horsley created this charming painting in 1839 during a period when domestic scenes were quite fashionable. The scene, set in the dining room of Haddon Hall in Derbyshire, shows a young woman with her companion who is playing the flute.

The title of the painting, “The Rival Performers,” at first implies that the two figures—both musicians—are the rivals, but on closer inspection, we see that the woman’s instrument is nowhere near her. The rivals in question are the flute player in the bird. Some critics believed that the scene shows the young woman silencing her companion so that they can listen to the caged bird. However, most believe that the bird is simply out-performing the musician.

John Callcott Horsely first visited Haddon Hall in 1835. Horsely was the son of the organist and composer William Horsley, and the great-nephew of Sir Augustus Wall Callcott RA. He studied at Sass's art school and the Royal Academy Schools and was known as a painter of portraits,