John Boydell
English, 1719–1804
Josiah Boydell (aka Joshua Boydell)
English, 1752–1817
James Parker
English, 1750–1805
after William Hamilton
English, 1751–1801
From Boydell's Graphic Illustrations of the Dramatic Works of Shakespeare
In 1786, a successful London publisher, alderman John Boydell, conceived of a gallery of art devoted to scenes from Shakespeare’s plays. Named for its founder, the Boydell Shakespeare Gallery was one of the first large-scale commercial endeavors intended to promote British literature and artists both in Great Britain as well as throughout the European continent. He commissioned over 167 paintings of scenes from Shakespeare’s plays and produced engravings based on these paintings. In creating the engravings, John Boydell partnered with his son, Josiah, whose name appears after his father’s in the list above. The third name is that of the engraver, and the fourth is that of the painter who created the original composition in oils. The role of the engraver was to transfer the painter’s composition onto plates for printing.
About this scene:
This begins [Shakespeare’s] second tetralogy of history plays (about 1595), the prequel events to those already staged.
Bolingbroke indirectly accuses his cousin, King Richard, of having a royal uncle murdered; consequently, Bolingbroke is banished. Insolvent, war-bound Richard then seizes Bolingbroke’s vast inheritance to pay for his Irish war, but Bolingbroke returns to demand his rights. In the etching, Richard disembarks from Ireland to learn that his close friends raised no army before Bolingbroke killed them, that his thousands of Welsh soldiers have gone home, and that his few supporters stand there before him—his crown is hollow. Bolingbroke, though not the heir, then seizes the crown as well as his dukedom and suggests he would like to be rid of Richard, which he soon is, so a kinsman’s blood now stains new King Henry’s hands, too.
-Susan Willis, dramaturg, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, September 28, 2020
English, 1719–1804
Josiah Boydell (aka Joshua Boydell)
English, 1752–1817
James Parker
English, 1750–1805
after William Hamilton
English, 1751–1801
King Richard II, Act 3, Scene 2
about 1804From Boydell's Graphic Illustrations of the Dramatic Works of Shakespeare
Object Type:
Print
Dimensions:
10 1/8 x 6 3/16 in. (26 x 16 cm)
Medium and Support:
Engraving on paper
Accession Number:
2016.0008.0010
Credit Line:
Gift of Dora Kaufman Nelke, by exchange, and Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts Association Purchase
In 1786, a successful London publisher, alderman John Boydell, conceived of a gallery of art devoted to scenes from Shakespeare’s plays. Named for its founder, the Boydell Shakespeare Gallery was one of the first large-scale commercial endeavors intended to promote British literature and artists both in Great Britain as well as throughout the European continent. He commissioned over 167 paintings of scenes from Shakespeare’s plays and produced engravings based on these paintings. In creating the engravings, John Boydell partnered with his son, Josiah, whose name appears after his father’s in the list above. The third name is that of the engraver, and the fourth is that of the painter who created the original composition in oils. The role of the engraver was to transfer the painter’s composition onto plates for printing.
About this scene:
This begins [Shakespeare’s] second tetralogy of history plays (about 1595), the prequel events to those already staged.
Bolingbroke indirectly accuses his cousin, King Richard, of having a royal uncle murdered; consequently, Bolingbroke is banished. Insolvent, war-bound Richard then seizes Bolingbroke’s vast inheritance to pay for his Irish war, but Bolingbroke returns to demand his rights. In the etching, Richard disembarks from Ireland to learn that his close friends raised no army before Bolingbroke killed them, that his thousands of Welsh soldiers have gone home, and that his few supporters stand there before him—his crown is hollow. Bolingbroke, though not the heir, then seizes the crown as well as his dukedom and suggests he would like to be rid of Richard, which he soon is, so a kinsman’s blood now stains new King Henry’s hands, too.
-Susan Willis, dramaturg, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, September 28, 2020
Keywords
Click a term to view the records with the same keyword
Related Objects
Click a record to view
Tempest, Act 1, Scene 2
2016.0008.0001
Merry Wives of Windsor, Act 5, Scene 5
2016.0008.0002
Much Ado About Nothing, Act 4, Scene 2
2016.0008.0003
Midsummer-Night’s Dream, Act 2, Scene 1
2016.0008.0004
Merchant of Venice, Act 3, Scene 2
2016.0008.0005
Taming of the Shrew, Act 4, Scene 5
2016.0008.0006
Twelfth Night, Act 2, Scene 3
2016.0008.0007
Macbeth, Act 1, Scene 3
2016.0008.0008
Macbeth, Act 5, Scene 1
2016.0008.0009
King Henry IV, Part 1, Act 2, Scene 1
2016.0008.0011
King Henry V, Act 3, Scene 3
2016.0008.0012
King Henry VI, Part 1, Act 5, Scene 4
2016.0008.0013
King Richard III, Act 3, Scene 1
2016.0008.0014
Antony and Cleopatra, Act 4, Scene 4
2016.0008.0015
Romeo and Juliet, Act 3, Scene 5
2016.0009.0001
Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 4
2016.0009.0002
Hamlet, Act 4, Scene 7
2016.0009.0003
Portfolio List
Click a portfolio name to view all the objects in that portfolio
This object is a member of the following portfolios:
Your current search criteria is: Portfolio is "Classification: Print" and [Object]Display Artist is "John Boydell".