Edmund Kean in the Character of Macbeth

George Henry Harlow|William Shakespeare|Edmund Kean

1814 · Black chalk, brush and wash and watercolor · Drawings and Prints

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.

Artist

George Henry Harlow|William Shakespeare|Edmund Kean

Date

1814

Medium

Black chalk, brush and wash and watercolor

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Gift of Paul Jeromack, in memory of Robert Tuggle, 2016