Hamlet and Guildenstern
Eugène Delacroix French
Subject William Shakespeare British
Lithographer Villain French
Not on view
In 1834 Delacroix began a series of lithographs devoted to Hamlet, creating moody images that mirror the troubled psyche of the prince. Choosing key scenes and poetic passages, the artist's highly personal and dramatic images were unusual in France, where interest in Shakespeare developed only in the nineteenth century. Here, in act 3, scene 2, the prince suspects that Guildenstern--a childhood friend just arrived at court--has been summoned by the king to act as a spy. As a result, Hamlet discomfits the visitor by insisting he play the recorder, then mocks him with puns on the theme of manipulation. Gihaut frères published the artist's thirteen-print set in 1843, with a second expanded edition of sixteen issued by Bertauts in 1864. Cooly received at first, the prints eventually were recognized as one of the artist's most significant achievements.
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