Keane in Richard 3rd
Drawing
ca.1830 (painted)
ca.1830 (painted)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Hand cut stencil on cream, ribbed paper, with handwritten caption reading 'Keane in Richard 3rd', probably the English actor, Edmund Kean (1787 – 1833), ca.1830
The stencil shows a head and shoulders outline of Kean as he appeared in the role of Richard III, which appears to have been taken from the 1814 portrait of Kean, by John James Halls, (ca.1797-1854). Kean first played Richard III at the Drury Lane Theatre on 12 February 1814. It became one of his most admired roles, along with Macbeth and Iago. Kean's natural passion and fiery spirit suited a melodramatic style of acting, but he nevertheless made his name playing in Shakespeare. He was said to be at his best in death scenes, and scenes that required intensity of feeling or violent transitions from one mood to another, prompting the poet Coleridge to note that watching Kean act was like 'reading Shakespeare by flashes of lightning'.
The stencil shows a head and shoulders outline of Kean as he appeared in the role of Richard III, which appears to have been taken from the 1814 portrait of Kean, by John James Halls, (ca.1797-1854). Kean first played Richard III at the Drury Lane Theatre on 12 February 1814. It became one of his most admired roles, along with Macbeth and Iago. Kean's natural passion and fiery spirit suited a melodramatic style of acting, but he nevertheless made his name playing in Shakespeare. He was said to be at his best in death scenes, and scenes that required intensity of feeling or violent transitions from one mood to another, prompting the poet Coleridge to note that watching Kean act was like 'reading Shakespeare by flashes of lightning'.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Keane in Richard 3rd (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | Ink on paper, printed, drawn. |
| Brief description | Hand cut stencil on cream, ribbed paper, with handwritten caption reading 'Keane in Richard 3rd', probably the English actor, Edmund Kean (1787 – 1833), ca.1830 |
| Physical description | Hand cut stencil on cream, ribbed paper, with handwritten caption reading 'Richard the 3rd'. The stencil shows a head and shoulders outline of Kean as he appeared in the role. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Credit line | Gabrielle Enthoven Collection |
| Object history | The stencil was originally found in a scrapbook which contained cuttings from the 1830s. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Literary reference | Richard III |
| Summary | Hand cut stencil on cream, ribbed paper, with handwritten caption reading 'Keane in Richard 3rd', probably the English actor, Edmund Kean (1787 – 1833), ca.1830 The stencil shows a head and shoulders outline of Kean as he appeared in the role of Richard III, which appears to have been taken from the 1814 portrait of Kean, by John James Halls, (ca.1797-1854). Kean first played Richard III at the Drury Lane Theatre on 12 February 1814. It became one of his most admired roles, along with Macbeth and Iago. Kean's natural passion and fiery spirit suited a melodramatic style of acting, but he nevertheless made his name playing in Shakespeare. He was said to be at his best in death scenes, and scenes that required intensity of feeling or violent transitions from one mood to another, prompting the poet Coleridge to note that watching Kean act was like 'reading Shakespeare by flashes of lightning'. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.757-2013 |
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| Record created | December 20, 2013 |
| Record URL |
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