Edgar
John Hamilton Mortimer · May 20, 1775; published 1809 · Art Institute of Chicago
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John Hamilton Mortimer’s Twelve Heads series of etchings depicting Shakespearian characters exemplifies the subjects’ heightened thought and passion. Three of the Heads include Caliban, a loyal but unruly savage from The Tempest; Edgar, the son of Gloucester who feigns madness in King Lear; and the poet played by Theseus in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Their intense expressions and the oval cropping draw the viewer’s focus into the theatrical action that the prints reference. The accompanying excerpts tie the characters to a particular scene from their respective plays, blending written and visual art.
The museum’s own description, in English. Licence: CC BY 4.0
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Details
- Maker
- John Hamilton Mortimer, English, 1740-1779
- Date
- May 20, 1775; published 1809
- Medium
- Etching on cream wove paper
- Dimensions
- Plate: 40 × 32.1 cm (15 3/4 × 12 11/16 in.); Sheet: 59.6 × 43.8 cm (23 1/2 × 17 1/4 in.)
- Place of origin
- England
- Held by
- Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · Not on view
- Credit line
- Mary S. Adams Endowment
Image: Art Institute of Chicago, CC0
