Shakespeare/Sommernachtstraum
1964
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
etching
Classification
Portfolio
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1980.45.1210
Art Historical Context
Created in 1964 by Imre Reiner, *Shakespeare/Sommernachtstraum* is an etching that draws directly from William Shakespeare’s beloved comedy *A Midsummer Night’s Dream*. Reiner, a Hungarian-born artist who spent much of his career in Switzerland, was celebrated for his expressive book illustrations and graphic work. This print belongs to a portfolio format, suggesting it may have been conceived as part of a larger series exploring literary themes through visual interpretation. Etching, with its capacity for delicate linework and tonal subtlety, lends itself beautifully to capturing the play’s ...
About the Artist
Imre Reiner
**Imre Reiner** (1900–1987) was a Hungarian-born Swiss painter, graphic artist, typographer, and master illustrator whose multifaceted career bridged sculpture, experimental typography, and exquisite wood engravings. Born on August 18, 1900, in Versec (now Vršac, Serbia) to a Jewish family—his father a sculptor and stone carver who apprenticed him young—Reiner began formal studies at age 15 in scu...