"Owake! what ho! Brabantio! thieves! thieves!": plate 1 from Othello (Act 1, Scene 1)

Art Historical Context

Step into the dramatic tension of Shakespeare's *Othello* with Théodore Chassériau evocative etching, *"Owake! what ho! Brabantio! thieves!!": plate 1 Othello (Act 1, Scene 1)*, created in 1844. This print captures the chaotic midnight shouts of Iago and Roderigo as rouse the Venetian senator Brabantio, accusing Othello of stealing his daughter Desdemona. Chassériau, a French Romantic artist influenced by Ingres and Delacroix, channeled the Bard's tragedy into a series of illustrations, blending literary drama with 19th-century visual storytelling amid a growing European fascination with Shakespeare. Rendered in etching, engraving, and roulette on chine collé—a delicate technique where thin Chinese paper is adhered to a sturdy support for finer detail and subtle tones—the image measures about 12¾ x 9¼ inches. Roulette, a toothed wheel, adds textured shading to heighten the nocturnal urgency and shadowy figures of the men, emphasizing raw emotion over refined portraiture. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (acquired via the Harris Brisbane Dick Fund in 1932), this work exemplifies how Romantic artists like Chassériau bridged theater and fine art, immortalizing Shakespeare's themes of jealousy, race, and betrayal for new audiences. A thrilling gateway to Elizabethan drama through 19th-century eyes!

About the Artist

Théodore Chassériau|William Shakespeare · 1819–1856

Théodore Chassériau was born on September 20, 1819, in El Limón, Samaná, in the Spanish colony of Santo Domingo — present-day Dominican Republic — to a French father and a Creole mother. The family relocated to Paris in 1820, and the young Chassériau's exceptional talent was evident almost immediately. At just eleven years old, in 1830, he was accepted into the prestigious studio of Jean-Auguste-D...