Falstaff at Herne's Oak (Shakespeare, Merry Wives of Windsor, Act 5, Scene 5)

Art Historical Context

This 1793 stipple engraving and etching captures a lively moment from Act 5, 5 of Shakespeare’s *The Merry Wives of Windsor*. In the scene, the roguish Sir John Falstaff, disguised with a buck’s head, waits at Herne’s Oak for what he believes will be a romantic rendezvous, only to be confronted by the play’s clever women and a band of disguised figures who expose and humiliate him. The print reflects the late eighteenth-century enthusiasm for Shakespearean subjects, when publishers such as Thomas Macklin commissioned illustrated editions and standalone prints to bring the Bard’s comedies to a wider audience. The work is the result of a collaborative effort typical of the period: Henry William Bunbury supplied the humorous design, while Michele Benedetti executed the delicate stipple and etching technique. This medium, popular in the 1790s, allowed for soft tonal gradations and fine detail that suited both caricature and theatrical narrative. The involvement of Princess Frederica Charlotte of Prussia as dedicatee further signals the print’s appeal to fashionable collectors. Now in the Metropolitan Museum’s collection, the sheet offers modern viewers a charming window into Georgian-era Shakespeare reception, where wit, social satire, and theatrical spectacle met the refined art of printmaking.

About the Artist

Thomas Macklin|Henry William Bunbury|Princess Frederica Charlotte of Prussia|William Shakespeare|Michele Beneditti (Italian|British|British) · 1728 |1751 |1752 –1815 |1801 |1800

Italian, Florence 1728–1815 Lisbon|British, London 1751–1801 London|British, 1752/53–1800 London