Shakespeare's Head Emblem

Publisher Jacob Tonson, the Elder British
 Publisher Jacob Tonson, the Younger British
 Sitter William Shakespeare British

Not on view

Jacob Tonson the Elder obtained publication rights to Shakespeare's works and issued an important edition of the plays in 1709. From about 1700, he worked in partnership with his nephew, Jacob Tonson the Younger, and they moved into a shop in the Strand known as Shakespeare's Head in 1710. This small woodcut image of the Bard, clipped from a Tonson title page, was their signature emblem.

Shakespeare's Head Emblem, Jacob Tonson, the Elder (British, London 1655–1736 Barn Elms, Surrey), Woodcut and letterpress

This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.