King Richard III. Act IV, Scene III

Currently not on view

King Richard III. Act IV, Scene III

1791

James Heath (British, 1757–1834) After a painting by James Northcote (British, 1746–1831) Published by John & Josiah Boydell, Shakspeare Gallery, Pall-Mall & No. 90 Cheapside, London (active 18th century) Written by William Shakespeare (British, 1564–1616)

Subjects taken from Shakespeare's play Richard III satisfied the public's taste for blood and gore. The murder of two young princes - ordered by Richard III himself to ensure his claim to the throne - was most often depicted in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century art. The artist James Northcote claimed that his painting inspired John Boydell to initiate the Shakespeare Gallery project, because the work hung on the wall during the dinner party at which the scheme was concocted.

Currently not on view

Object Details

Titles:

King Richard III. Act IV, Scene III
The Murder of the Princes in the Tower

Date:

1791

Artists:

James Heath (British, 1757–1834) After a painting by James Northcote (British, 1746–1831) Published by John & Josiah Boydell, Shakspeare Gallery, Pall-Mall & No. 90 Cheapside, London (active 18th century) Written by William Shakespeare (British, 1564–1616)

Medium:

Etching and engraving

Dimensions:

Sheet: 17 1/8 x 12 15/16 inches (43.5 x 32.9 cm)

Classification:

Prints

Credit Line:

The Muriel and Philip Berman Gift, acquired from the John S. Phillips bequest of 1876 to the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, with funds contributed by Muriel and Philip Berman, gifts (by exchange) of Lisa Norris Elkins, Bryant W. Langston, Samuel S. White 3rd and Vera White, with additional funds contributed by John Howard McFadden, Jr., Thomas Skelton Harrison, and the Philip H. and A.S.W. Rosenbach Foundation, 1985

Accession Number:

1985-52-5791

Geography:

Made in London, England, Europe

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Currently not on view