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.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A VOLUME TO BE SAVORED,
This review is from: Shakespeare in Art (Hardcover)
Jane Martineau, formerly Curator and Editor in the Exhibitions Office of the Royal Academy of Arts, London, has made an outstanding contribution to Shakespeare, theatre, and art lovers alike. "Shakespeare In Art"with over eighty paintings accompanied by descriptive essays and enriched by eleven scholarly essays is a veritable panoply of paintings by artists who selected Shakespeare's characters as their subjects. With Hogarth's representations of Falstaff examining his Troops, John Gay's The Beggar's Opera and many more we are reminded of the then burgeoning relationship between theatre and painting. It is noted that "The illustrating of Shakespeare, which was to reach gigantic proportions by the end of the eighteenth century, had begun very modestly in England in 1709........" George Romney, we learn, was obsessed by the story of King Lear throughout his life. Romney's magnificent King Lear in the Tempest tearing off his Robes is apt testimony to this artist's predilection. William Blake's pen and watercolour "As if an Angel dropp'd down from the clouds" from Henry IV is unforgettable. "Shakespeare In Art" is not to be hurriedly scanned but leafed through at leisure and forever treasured. - Gail Cooke
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
What a Piece of Work is this Book!!!,
By
This review is from: Shakespeare in Art (Hardcover)
+++++
This book or "exhibition" (a collaborative effort of many, many people including private collectors, museums, and galleries) tells the story of how William Shakespeare (1564 to 1616) and his works had a profound influence on every artist, writer, and composer around the world from England to Germany, France, Italy, and Russia in the period "from circa 1730 to 1860." As well, "this is the first exhibition in London [,England] since 1964 devoted to Shakespeare's impact on the visual arts" and explores "the influence of Shakespeare on eighteenth-and nineteenth-century literature, theatre, music, and printmaking." The guiding principle when reading this book is to realize that "Everyone agreed that [Shakespeare's] plays were untranslatable and yet everyone tried to translate them." This book consists of two combined parts: text and images. The text consists of eleven surprisingly in-depth essays each written by a different person (although two are written by the same person.) Each essay has mainly color figures (paintings, engraving reproductions etc.) to highlight the text. Then we have the images (paintings, etc.) in the form of color "plates." (A plate is a full-page book reproduction of a work.) These are truly magnificent and stunning to look at. Each plate is accompanied by an explanatory text (and in some cases a figure) and this text is headed by particulars about the plate. For example, the cover of this book (shown above by Amazon) is actually a plate in this book. Here are the particulars of this plate [with my accompanying explanation]: 82 [this is the eighty-second plate in this book] Sir John Everett Millais, P.R.A. (1829-1896) [the artist's name, birth and death date] Ferdinand lured by Ariel ("The Tempest," 1. ii. 387-402) [title of work and its inspiration] 1849-50 [date the work was made] Oil on panel [type of work] 64.8 X 50.8 cm (25.5 X 20 in.) [work's dimensions] Makins Collection, Washington, DC [work's present display location] This book contains just over 60 figures and almost 90 plates. I will give the titles of each essay, the number of figures in each essay, and the number of plates that follow the essay (if applicable): (1) The Shakespeare phenomenon. 5 figures. (2) Shakespeare and the British print market (from) 1700 to 1860. 6 figures. (3) "Our divine Shakespeare fitly illustrated." Staging Shakespeare (from) 1660 to 1900. 9 figures. (4) Shakespeare and music. 5 figures. (5) The early illustrators of Shakespeare. 2 figures. 4 plates follow. (6) Shakespeare and the sublime. 9 figures. 18 plates follow. (7) The Shakespeare galleries of John Boydell and James Woodmason. 4 figures. 7 plates follow. (8) Theatrical painting from Hogarth to Fuseli. 7 figures. 32 plates follow. (9) Shakespeare and Romantic painting in Europe. 8 figures. 10 plates follow. (10) Bardolatry. This deals with paintings etc. of Shakespeare himself. 4 figures. 5 plates follow. (11) Shakespeare and Victorian art. 3 figures. 12 plates follow. This book does not have images of scenes from all of Shakespeare's plays. As well, there are not only images of scenes from the plays but images of other things (such as of Shakespeare himself). The scene and character images in this book are from the following plays: The Tragedies: Hamlet, Troilus and Cressida, King Lear, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth (my personal favorite), Othello, Timon of Athens, Coriolanus, Timon of Athens. Comedies: As You Like It, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Merry Wives of Windsor, All's Well that End's Well, The Merchant of Venice, Twelfth Night, Cymbeline, The Winter's Tale, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Tempest. Histories: Henry IV (Parts 1 and 2), Henry VI (Parts 2 and 3), Henry VIII, Henry V, Richard III. Finally, even though not completely necessary, I recommend being at least familiar with Shakespeare's plays (especially the most popular ones like Hamlet or Macbeth). This will enhance your appreciation of the images. In conclusion, this book is a fascinating combination of text and images of Shakespeare & his plays. Essential reading for anyone interested in Western Culture!! (first published 2003; forward; 11 chapters; main narrative 245 pages; bibliography; lenders and photographic credits; index) +++++
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