“At last, Hollywood publicists and their high-profile clients have a chance to pay homage to their patron saint, Sarah Siddons,” claimed the August 17–23 issue of The Hollywood Reporter in its story on the concurrent exhibits of portraits of Sarah Siddons this summer at the J. Paul Getty Museum and he Huntington Art Collection (27 July-19 September). Also characterizing Siddons as calculating media mogul, the Los Angeles Times of July 25 compared the fame of the historical tragic actress (1755–1831) to that of current stars like Madonna, O.J., Diana, and even Monica. England's highly respectable muse of tragedy would likely reject these dubious associations, but the first actress of preeminent stature on the English stage was a symbol of female success, the subject of public scrutiny, and an emblem of ideal femininity. Siddons, who achieved celebrity status during an extraordinarily successful, forty-year career in England, Scotland, and Ireland, recently inspired a constellation of events which included not only these two art exhibitions, but a new play produced by Mark Taper Forum and an academic conference at the Huntington as well. In addition to detailing her sublime acting and renowned position in the Georgian theatre, these happenings emphasized Siddons' use of portraiture to cultivate and maintain her celebrity status.