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William Shakespeare

Printer Thomas Brooker British
Sitter William Shakespeare British
1876
Not on view
Derived from a sculpted monument at Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare’s birthplace, this portrait shows the Bard dressed in a doublet and winged collar, with an aureole of laurels behind his head. Emblematic additions include a skull, Tudor rose, and volume of his writings. A plaque below lauds the subject as poet, philosopher, and actor. Sherborn was known as the "Victorian little master," and worked for Swiss goldsmiths before leading a revival of copper-engraved bookplates in London and producing this jewel-like print.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: William Shakespeare
  • Artist: Charles William Sherborn (British, London 1831–1912 London)
  • Printer: Thomas Brooker (British, active 1840–77)
  • Sitter: William Shakespeare (British, Stratford-upon-Avon 1564–1616 Stratford-upon-Avon)
  • Date: 1876
  • Medium: Engraving; sixth state of nine
  • Dimensions: Plate: 6 3/16 × 4 5/8 in. (15.7 × 11.7 cm)
    Sheet: 12 1/16 × 8 15/16 in. (30.7 × 22.7 cm)
  • Classification: Prints
  • Credit Line: Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1917
  • Object Number: 17.3.569
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

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William Shakespeare, Charles William Sherborn British, Engraving; sixth state of nine
William Shakespeare
Charles William Sherborn
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