Mr. Dimond and Miss Wallis in the Characters of Romeo and Juliet

Art Historical Context

Step into the romantic tragedy of Shakespeare's *Romeo and Juliet* with this 1796 print from the Metropolitan of Art. Titled *Mr. Dimond and Wallis in the Characters of and Juliet*, it captures actors William Wyatt Dimond and Tryphosa Wallis in dramatic stage roles. Engraved primarily by the masterful Francesco Bartolozzi, with involvement from Charles Shirreff this third-state impression depicts the lovers in period costume, evoking the passion and peril of Verona's feuding families during a popular late-18th-century London production. Printed in warm brown ink via etching and engraving techniques, the work exemplifies the refined reproductive printmaking of the era. Bartolozzi, a leading figure in stipple engraving, brought delicate tonal gradations and expressive detail to theatrical portraits, making high-society performances accessible to a wider audience through affordable prints. At 7 5/16 x 5 5/16 inches, its intimate scale suited collectors' albums, preserving fleeting stage moments amid Britain's Shakespeare revival. This piece highlights the cultural fervor for the Bard in Georgian England, where star actors like Dimond and Wallis became celebrities. As a window into 1790s theater, it blends artistry and performance, reminding us how prints immortalized the era's dramatic icons.

About the Artist

Francesco Bartolozzi|Charles Shirreff|William Wyatt Dimond|Jane Tryphosa Wallis|Charles Shirreff|William Shakespeare · 1727–1815

Francesco Bartolozzi (1727–1815) was an Italian engraver whose most productive period was spent in London, where he became the leading exponent of stipple engraving and a founding member of the Royal Academy. Born in Florence and trained first as a painter before turning to engraving in Venice, he established his reputation in Rome before being recruited by the English Royal Librarian Richard Dalt...