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Mr. Garrick in the Character of Richard III

June 20, 1746
Not on view
Hogarth represents his close friend, the actor David Garrick, as Richard III waking from a vision of the ghosts of those he murdered to attain the throne. The scene occurs in act 5, scene 7 of Shakespeare's play, just before the Battle of Bosworth Field where Richard is defeated and the Tudors attain the throne. Based on a 1745 painting at the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, the print conveys Garrick's dynamic ability to bring Shakespeare to life for his contemporaries.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Mr. Garrick in the Character of Richard III
  • Artist and engraver: William Hogarth (British, London 1697–1764 London)
  • Engraver: Charles Grignion, I (British, London baptised 1721–1810 London)
  • Sitter: David Garrick (British, Hereford 1717–1779 London)
  • Subject: William Shakespeare (British, Stratford-upon-Avon 1564–1616 Stratford-upon-Avon)
  • Date: June 20, 1746
  • Medium: Etching and engraving; second state of two
  • Dimensions: sheet: 16 3/8 x 20 1/2 in. (41.6 x 52 cm)
  • Classification: Prints
  • Credit Line: Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1932
  • Object Number: 32.35(238)
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

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