Descent of Madame Saqui Surrounded by Fireworks
Artistafter
Hutchisson of Bath
(English, active 1815-1861)
Publisher
Thomas Kelly
(British, active 1815-1830)
DateMay 18th, 1822
Periodn/a
Mediumhand-colored lithograph on paper
DimensionsSheet: 5 × 7 3/4 in. (12.7 × 19.7 cm)
Image: 4 1/8 × 7 1/16 in. (10.5 × 17.9 cm)
Image: 4 1/8 × 7 1/16 in. (10.5 × 17.9 cm)
ClassificationsPrints
Credit LineMuseum purchase, 1951
Object numberSN1546.134.12
[Feb. 2020 installation]
Thos. Kelly (publisher), British
Descent of Madame Saqui Surrounded by Fireworks, 1822 SN1546.134.12
Chambers Collection, 1951
Among the pleasure gardens established in London in the 17th century, Vauxhall was the site of many exciting
performances. The evening of May 18, 1822, crowds at the garden were thrilled by the spectacle of the remarkable rope dancer, Madame Saqui.
Originally from the south of France, Marguerite-Antoinette Lalanne was born in 1786 to a family of acrobats. As a child she was mentored by a Spanish rope walker and showed exceptional skills for dancing on the rope. Said to be a favorite of Napoleon, who called her "my little mad woman," Madame Saqui performed on the rope well into her sevenities. For the performance at Vauxhall the she incorporated a Catharine Wheel, or spinning display of fireworks, to illuminate her descent along an inclined rope.
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