Edmund Kean in the Character of Macbeth

George Henry Harlow British
Sitter Edmund Kean British
Subject William Shakespeare British

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.

Edmund Kean in the Character of Macbeth, George Henry Harlow (British, London 1787–1819 London), Black chalk, brush and wash and watercolor

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