William Shakespeare
Medium
Engraving; seventh state of nine
Dimensions
Plate: 6 3/8 × 4 5/8 in. (16.2 × 11.8 cm) Sheet: 8 1/16 × 12 1/16 in. (20.4 × 30.7 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1917
Accession Number
17.3.756–1655
Tags
Art Historical Context
This 1876 engraving presents a portrait of William Shakespeare, rendered in the seventh state of a nine-state printing process. Created by engravers Charles William Sherborn and Thomas Brooker, the work measures just over six inches in plate size, demonstrating the precision required for fine printmaking. The inclusion of skulls and a coat of arms hints at themes of mortality and legacy often associated with the playwright’s own writings. As a print from the Metropolitan Museum’s Drawings and Prints department, this engraving reflects the 19th-century fascination with Shakespeare during a per...
About the Artist
William Shakespeare|Charles William Sherborn|Thomas Brooker (British|British|British|British) · 1840 |1831 |1564 |1564 –1877 |1912 |1616 |1616
British, active 1840–77|British, London 1831–1912 London|British, Stratford-upon-Avon 1564–1616 Stratford-upon-Avon|British, Stratford-upon-Avon 1564–1616 Stratford-upon-Avon