Garrick Speaking the Jubilee Ode

Caroline Watson|Robert Edge Pine|William Shakespeare|David Garrick|John Boydell

1784 · Stipple engraving · Drawings and Prints

In 1769, David Garrick organized the Shakespeare Jubilee, a three-day extravaganza held at Stratford-upon-Avon between September 6th and 9th with months of advance publicity. An opening dinner was followed by the unveiling of a new statue of the Bard at the town hall, and Garrick's declamation of an ode written for the occasion. A concluding pageant had to be cancelled because of torrential rain, but was later restaged at the Drury Lane Theatre in London and ran for ninety performances. Pine here represents Garrick speaking near the statue surrounded by characters from the plays. His original painting was shown, with six other Shakesperean subjects, in the Great Room, Spring Gardens in 1782, then engraved by Watson. When Pine departed for America, Boydell bought the plates and reissued this version of the print.

Artist

Caroline Watson|Robert Edge Pine|William Shakespeare|David Garrick|John Boydell

Date

1784

Medium

Stipple engraving

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1953