In Gil Blas

Uncoloured theatrical souvenir plate representing an equestrian combat between two characters from the play Gil Blas. Although the print is complete the sheet appears to have been cut in half, a second similar scene would have probably been printed above. Such sheets would have been sold plain as theatrical souvenirs for colouring and tinselling at home.

In the first half of the nineteenth century London theatres needed to be licenced. Circuses and equestrian drama were a way around the legislation. Melodramas and equestrian combats were popular features of these illegitimate theatres.