Mr. Ducrow in the Vicissitude of a Tar

Artist W. Cooking (British)

Publisher R. Lloyd (British, 19th century)

DateMay 11, 1830

MediumColor on paper

DimensionsOverall: 7 1/2 x 9 1/2 in. (19.1 x 24.1 cm)

ClassificationsPrints

Credit LineMuseum purchase, 1951

Object numberSN1546.133.4

A pioneer of daring equestrian performance, Andrew Ducrow was the natural successor to the Philip Astley, founder of the first modern circus. Ducrow, born in 1793, was trained in acrobatic and strongman skills by his father, a performer named Peter Ducrow, and in the arts of rope walking and balance by others. By the age of 15, the younger Ducrow was the lead equestrian and rope walker at Astley’s Amphitheater. Andrew Ducrow is best remembered for creating some of the most exciting equestrian performances ever seen in the rings. The act seen in this print, Vicissitudes of a Tar, had the talented rider performing a pantomime act, assuming the role of a sailor battling the elements and other dangers at sea. The horse was costumed in a blanket meant to transform it into a man o’war, a British naval ship designed for battle. Ducrow, as the sailor, survives the chaotic enactment of a shipwreck and ultimately returns home triumphant.

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