William Dunlap
Encyclopedia
William Dunlap was a pioneer of the American
theater. He was a producer, playwright, and actor, as well as a historian. He managed two of New York's
earliest and most prominent theaters, the John Street Theatre (from 1796–98) and the Park Theatre
(from 1798–1805). He was also an artist, despite losing an eye in childhood.
He was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey
, the son of an army officer wounded at the Battle of Quebec in 1759. In 1783, he produced a portrait
of George Washington
, now owned by the United States Senate
, and later studied art under Benjamin West
in London
. After returning to America in 1787, he worked exclusively in the theater for 18 years, resuming painting out of economic necessity in 1805. By 1817, he was a full-time painter.
In his lifetime he produced more than sixty plays, most of which were adaptations or translations from French
or German
works. A few were original: these were based on American themes and had American characters. However, he is best known for his encyclopedic three-volume History of the Rise and Progress of the Arts of Design in the United States, which was published in 1834, and which is now an invaluable source of information about artists, collecting, and artistic life generally in the colonial and federal periods.
Among his plays were the following:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
theater. He was a producer, playwright, and actor, as well as a historian. He managed two of New York's
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
earliest and most prominent theaters, the John Street Theatre (from 1796–98) and the Park Theatre
Park Theatre (Manhattan)
The Park Theatre, originally known as the New Theatre, was a playhouse in New York City, located at 21, 23, and 25 Park Row, about east of Ann Street and backing Theatre Alley. The location, at the north end of the city, overlooked the park that would soon house City Hall...
(from 1798–1805). He was also an artist, despite losing an eye in childhood.
He was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, the son of an army officer wounded at the Battle of Quebec in 1759. In 1783, he produced a portrait
Portrait
thumb|250px|right|Portrait of [[Thomas Jefferson]] by [[Rembrandt Peale]], 1805. [[New-York Historical Society]].A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expression is predominant. The intent is to display the likeness,...
of George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
, now owned by the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
, and later studied art under Benjamin West
Benjamin West
Benjamin West, RA was an Anglo-American painter of historical scenes around and after the time of the American War of Independence...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. After returning to America in 1787, he worked exclusively in the theater for 18 years, resuming painting out of economic necessity in 1805. By 1817, he was a full-time painter.
In his lifetime he produced more than sixty plays, most of which were adaptations or translations from French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
or German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
works. A few were original: these were based on American themes and had American characters. However, he is best known for his encyclopedic three-volume History of the Rise and Progress of the Arts of Design in the United States, which was published in 1834, and which is now an invaluable source of information about artists, collecting, and artistic life generally in the colonial and federal periods.
Among his plays were the following:
- The Father (1789)
- AndreAndré (play)André is a play by William Dunlap, first produced at the Park Theatre in New York City on March 30, 1798 by the Old American Company, published in that same year together with a collection of historic documents relating to the case of Major John André, the British officer who was hanged as a spy on...
(1798) - The Stranger (1798)
- False Shame (1799)
- The Virgin of the Sun (1800)
- Memoirs of George Frederick Cooke (1813)
- A Trip to Niagara (1828)
- History of the American Theater, 2 vols. (1832)
Further reading
- William Dunlap. A history of the rise and progress of the arts of design in the United States, new ed. Boston: C.E. Goodspeed & Co., 1918; p. 344. v.1; v.2; v.3 Google books
- Wilmeth, Don B. and Christopher Bigsby, eds. The Cambridge History of American Theatre, Volume I: Beginnings to 1870. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998.
- Lyons, Maura. William Dunlap and the Construction of an American Art History. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 2005.