The Plays of William Shakespeare, vol. 1, containing The Tempest, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Merry Wives of Windsor
Not on view
Fuseli designed the illustrations in this ten-volume set of Shakepeare's plays, edited by George Steevens and published in 1803. Bromley’s print for The Merry Wives of WIndsor responds to act 5, scene 5, where Falstaff meets Mistress Ford and Mistress Quickly in WIndsor Great Park at night. The print translates a loose sketch in the Museum's collection (1975.131.232) into a tightly controlled image with no detail left to the imagination. A high degree of finish was expected from a good reproductive engraver in this period, and details of dress and expression have been added to clarify the narrative. The ladies’ turned heads indicate their awareness of the approaching townsfolk, as their flirtatious gestures distract Falstaff from his coming humiliation.
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