John Henderson as Iago in Othello by William Shakespeare
Painting
1786 (made)
1786 (made)
| Artist/Maker |
John Henderson, one of the most celebrated Shakespearean actors of his day, is portrayed by the portraitist Gilbert Stuart in his signature role, Iago, the villain of Othello. Henderson played Iago in a highly successful production of Othello at Covent Garden between 1780-85 and was painted and drawn in this role by numerous artists. This portrait, which appears to be unfinished, was originally attributed to John Opie when it was bequeathed to the Museum.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | John Henderson as Iago in <i>Othello</i> by William Shakespeare |
| Materials and techniques | oil on canvas |
| Brief description | Oil on canvas, 'John Henderson as Iago in "Othello' by William Shakespeare', attributed to Gilbert Stuart, 1786. |
| Physical description | A head-and-shoulders portrait, in three-quarter profile, of the actor John Henderson. Henderson is draped in a loose-fitting red garment and gazes menacingly out of the canvas. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Bequeathed by Rev. Alexander Dyce |
| Object history | Bequeathed by Rev. Alexander Dyce, 1869 |
| Historical context | Gilbert Stuart (1735-1828), a British portraitist, is perhaps best remembered for his iconic portrait of George Washington. |
| Production | When Dyce bequeathed the painting to the museum, it was attributed to John Opie. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Literary reference | Shakespeare, <i>Othello</i> |
| Summary | John Henderson, one of the most celebrated Shakespearean actors of his day, is portrayed by the portraitist Gilbert Stuart in his signature role, Iago, the villain of Othello. Henderson played Iago in a highly successful production of Othello at Covent Garden between 1780-85 and was painted and drawn in this role by numerous artists. This portrait, which appears to be unfinished, was originally attributed to John Opie when it was bequeathed to the Museum. |
| Bibliographic reference | Ashton, Geoffrey. Catalogue of Paintings at the Theatre Museum, London. ed. James Fowler, London : Victoria and Albert Museum, 1992. 224p. ill. ISBN 1851771026 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | DYCE.26 |
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| Record created | October 27, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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