Much Ado About Nothing

Fine large scale 18th Century Engraving from the Boydell Shakespeare Library.

Texts below images:

Much Ado About Nothing
Act III, Scene I

Painted by the Revd Wm. Peters, Engraved by Rob Thew. Published December 24, 1793 by John and Josiah Boydell at the Shakespeare Gallery Pall Mall, Cheapside, London

Hero, Ursula and Beatrice listening

The Boydell Shakespeare Gallery

These fine 18th century prints come from the "Shakespeare Gallery" created by the London publishers John and Josiah Boydell who conceived the idea of "a fine Edition of Shakespeare" comparable to the rival the elegant volumes with which the French celebrated their great writers which would be richlly illustrated with works by the great artists of the period. As part of the plan, they also decided to create a "Shakespeare Gallery" and to commission distinguished artists such as Sir Joshua Reynolds, George Rommy, and Benjamin West to do a series of oils depicting scenes and caracters from the plays. The paintings would be exhibited in the Gallery and serve as the basis for two series of prints. The large prints were published as part of an imperial foilo album without text. These large format engravings ere apparently part of that group. A seperate set of smaller engravings were made to accompany the text.

The Shakespeare Gallery, housed in its own building at Pall Mall, became on of the main tourist attractions for visitors to London at the end of the eighteenth century.

Source: Article about the Boydell Shakespeare Library by Frederick Burwick

Burwick's article makes apparent reference to this specific engraving: "Reverend Peters, too, is exhibiting his skills at portraiture when he depicts Mistress Page and Mistress Ford discovering they have received identical letters (Cat. I:11. Merry Wives of Windsor. II.i. Peters/Thew), or Hero and Ursula whispering while Beatrice eavesdrops (Cat. I:16. Much Ado About Nothing. III.i. Rev. Peters/Jean Pierre Simon). Peter's mastery of portraiture serve him well in rendering character and expression, and with his trompe l'oeil skill in conjuring the very weave and fold of the ladies' dresses, he displays his academic mastery. To the extent that dramatic action can be effectively carried by the presence of character and by pose, gesture, and expression, Peter's portraiture is adequate to the task."

 

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