Minnie Maddern Fiske

A leading actress at the turn of the twentieth century, Minnie Maddern Fiske (born Marie Augusta Davey) paved the way for the realistic portrayal of social problems on the American stage. An only child of actor parents, Fiske made her debut at age three as the young Duke of York in Shakespeare’s Richard III. From being a child prodigy, she rose to prominence in 1882 through her vivacious perfor-mance in Charles E. Callahan’s dramatic comedy Fogg’s Ferry.

Fiske replaced the stilted stage conventions of “grand manner” acting with the more naturalistic, psychological style suggested by her introspective air and relaxed pose in this painting. From the mid-1890s, she became a champion of Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, starring in works such as A Doll’s House (1879). Fiske was also a vehement critic of the Theatrical Syndicate, which worked to exert a tight monopoly over theater productions and venues around the country.