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Edmund Kean in the Character of Macbeth

Sitter Edmund Kean British
Subject William Shakespeare British
1814
Not on view
Edmund Kean entranced Londoners in 1814 with tragic Shakespearean roles performed at the Drury Lane Theatre, and here appears as Macbeth contemplating regicide. An ability to convey nuanced emotions distinguished Kean from John Philip Kemble's broader acting style at the rival Covent Garden Theatre. In this drawing Harlow used delicate colored chalks for the face, and broader strokes to indicate the costume, a technique influenced by Thomas Lawrence.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Edmund Kean in the Character of Macbeth
  • Artist: George Henry Harlow (British, London 1787–1819 London)
  • Sitter: Edmund Kean (British, 1787–1833)
  • Subject: William Shakespeare (British, Stratford-upon-Avon 1564–1616 Stratford-upon-Avon)
  • Date: 1814
  • Medium: Black chalk, brush and wash and watercolor
  • Dimensions: Sheet: 8 1/8 × 6 7/8 in. (20.6 × 17.4 cm)
  • Classification: Drawings
  • Credit Line: Gift of Paul Jeromack, in memory of Robert Tuggle, 2016
  • Object Number: 2016.767.1
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

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George Henry Harlow - Edmund Kean in the Character of Macbeth - The Metropolitan Museum of Art