Herbert Beerbohm Tree as Othello in Othello by William Shakespeare thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Herbert Beerbohm Tree as Othello in Othello by William Shakespeare

Painting
1914 (made)
Artist/Maker

Herbert Beerbohm Tree as Othello by Charles Buchel, 1914.

Actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree (1852-1917) played Othello in his own production of the play at His Majesty’s Theatre in 1912. Under Tree's management, His Majesty's became famous for its presentations of Shakespeare, staged with large casts, pictorial scenery and lavish costumes. Artist Charles A. Buchel (1872-1950) had a 16-year working association with Tree. He painted portraits of the actor in character, designed posters and provided illustrations for the souvenir booklets which accompanied many of Tree's productions.

In this portrait Buchel shows Tree's Othello the warrior, dressed in European plate armour but with a helmet loosely based on Indo Persian design. The helmet depicted here is now held in the V&A Theatre and Performance collections (S.474-1984).


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleHerbert Beerbohm Tree as Othello in <i>Othello</i> by William Shakespeare (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Oil on millboard
Brief description
Painting entitled "Herbert Beerbohm Tree as Othello in Othello by William Shakespeare", Charles Buchel, 1914
Physical description
Oil painting of Herbert Beerbohm Tree as Othello, full length. Dark skinned, bearded figure, standing in front of a wall, with a pilaster to right. He wears armour decorated in gold; a helmet with two small green plumes, a tall central yellow crest and an attached protective mail aventail, and a green cloak decorated in gold. He rests his right hand on his belt and his left hand on the hilt of his scimitar. Signed and dated.
Dimensions
  • Height: 60.9cm
  • Width: 46.8cm
Credit line
Given by the family of Harry R. Beard
Subjects depicted
Summary
Herbert Beerbohm Tree as Othello by Charles Buchel, 1914.

Actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree (1852-1917) played Othello in his own production of the play at His Majesty’s Theatre in 1912. Under Tree's management, His Majesty's became famous for its presentations of Shakespeare, staged with large casts, pictorial scenery and lavish costumes. Artist Charles A. Buchel (1872-1950) had a 16-year working association with Tree. He painted portraits of the actor in character, designed posters and provided illustrations for the souvenir booklets which accompanied many of Tree's productions.

In this portrait Buchel shows Tree's Othello the warrior, dressed in European plate armour but with a helmet loosely based on Indo Persian design. The helmet depicted here is now held in the V&A Theatre and Performance collections (S.474-1984).
Associated object
S.474-1984 (Object)
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
S.218-1987

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Record createdNovember 6, 2003
Record URL
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