Synopses & Reviews
For centuries, artists have been drawn to the plays of Shakespeare, translating his lines into brushstrokes and interpreting his characters and scenes in their own vision. From Henry Fuseliandrsquo;s Macbeth Consulting the Vision of the Armed Head and William Blakeandrsquo;s Brutus and the Ghost of Caesar to Eugandegrave;ne Delacroixandrsquo;s Othello and Desdemona and John Millaisandrsquo;s Ophelia, these works will forever influence our reception of the Bard.and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;In Illustrating Shakespeare, Peter Whitfield draws on an extraordinary array of historical evidence to chronicle the way artists have embraced Shakespeare over the years. Whitfield shows how some artists succeeded in capturing the psychological truth of the dramas, while others merely dressed them up to suit the taste of their time. In addition, he reveals how the history of Shakespearean art parallels that of theater production. The artistic tradition spawned by Shakespeareandrsquo;s plays is extremely important to his legacy, making this gorgeous volume a must-read for scholars and fans alike.
Review
and#8220;An attractive-looking book that might grace any coffee table, Illustrating Shakespeare invites the casual browser to enter the fascinating world of art based on Shakespeare. . . . Whitfieldand#8217;s book is to be commended for providing an accessible and affordable summary of an immensely rich and engaging subject, illustrated with a generous array of reproductions from both books and paintings.and#8221;
Synopsis
The rediscovery of Shakespeare's work in the eighteenth century was a key factor in launching the Romantic movement. At the height of the Shakespeare craze of the early nineteenth century a handful of plays--"Hamlet, Othello, Macbeth, King Lear and "Romeo and Juliet--created the mindset of a generation, affecting every artist, writer, composer and politician in Europe. "Shakespeare in Art tells the remarkable story of how one of many Elizabethan dramatists, for centuries virtually unknown outside England, became a truly European author, inspiring German nationalist thinkers, French dramatists, Italian opera composers, Russian novelists and painters everywhere. "Shakespeare in Art looks especially at the many painters who made Shakespeare's extremes of passion, has evocations of nature, his spirit world and his eternally familiar characters the subjects of their own work. The paintings and drawings range from depictions of famous actors in role by Hogarth and Zoffany; tragic visions by Fuseli and Blake; brooding character studies of Hamlet, the Romantic role model, by Delacroix; to vivid evocations of natural scenery by the Pre-Raphaelites. Also explored is the influence of Shakespeare on eighteenth- and nineteenth-century literature, theatre, music and printmaking. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in the history of Western culture.
Synopsis
Includes bibliographical references (p. 246-251) and index.
About the Author
Peter Whitfield is the author of numerous books of history, poetry, and literary criticism, including, Travel: A Literary History, also published by the Bodleian Library.
Table of Contents
1. Visualising Shakespeare: The Iconography of the Plays
2. Before 1700
3. The Rowe-Tonson Shakespeare, 1709
4. Rococo Shakespeare: Gravelot and Hayman
5. Hogarth and the Beginning of Shakespearean Painting
6. Garrick and Shakespearean Art
7. The Battle of the Lears: New Forces in Shakespearean Art
8. Picturesque Book Illustrations
9. Henry Fuseli
10. William Blake
11. The Boydell Experiment
12. Bunburyand#8217;s Amateur Shakespeare
13. High Romanticism and Low Populism
14. Shakespeare in Outline
15. Shakespeare in France16. Shakespeare in Germany
17. American Shakespearean Art
18. Shakespearean Heroines
19. Knightand#8217;s Pictorial Shakespeare
20. High Victorian Shakespeare: Gilbert and Others
21. Gilbert: The Songs of Shakespeare
22. Murdochand#8217;s Colour Plate Edition
23. Knightand#8217;s Imperial Edition
24. The Irving Edition
25. The Impact of Photography
26. John Everett Millais
27. The Pre-Raphaelites
28. Mainstream Victorian Painting
29. In the Age of the Book Beautiful
30. Abbey: The Shakespearean Pageant
31. Three Hamlets and one Timon
32. Through the Lens of Modern Art
33. Limited Editions Club
34. The Animated Tales
35. Bardolatry
Picture Credits and Bibliography
Index