David Garrick (1717-1779) created a sensation amongst London theatregoers when he appeared as Richard III in 1741. The naturalism of his acting contrasted with the more declamatory style of his contemporaries and amazed audiences by its realism. As an actor at Covent Garden and at Drury Lane, which he managed from 1747 until 1776, Garrick played 17 of Shakespeare's roles. He concentrated on tragedy and only acted in two of the comedies: The Winter's Tale and Much Ado About Nothing. Much Ado About Nothing was seldom seen in the 18th century until Garrick re-introduced it to the repertory in 1748. Benedick became one of his favourite roles. He played it 113 times and it was the part in which he liked to appear at the start of each theatre season.

Whilst in Paris during the winter of 1764-1765 his actor friends Lekain and Préville gave Garrick a collection of gouaches by the Swiss miniaturist Fesch (ca.1738-1778), depicting the main actors of the Comédie Française in their most successful roles. Garrick was sent another set by Fesch in 1766, and when Fesch visited London the following year he painted English actors including Garrick and Charles Macklin. The success of those images led to his drawings which illustrated John Smith's Dramatic Characters from the English Stage in the Days of Garrick (1770).

There was little attempt at historical accuracy in 18th century costuming. Jean-Louis Fesch's watercolour shows Benedick as a contemporary gentleman, whose red frock coat with shoulder epaulettes (suggesting the uniform of an army officer) is appropriate for a character newly returned from the wars. His sweeping bow is both theatrical and realistic and has a feeling of movement often absent from theatre portraiture of the period.