Winter's Tale, Act V, Scene III ("Leontes looking at the statue of Hermione")
Line and stipple engraving with contemporary hand coloring, published by John & Josiah Boydell, dated June 4, 1793. On white laid paper with full margins, image 443 x 595 mm, platemark 502 x 635 mm, sheet 562 x 840 mm, the paper watermarked T Dupuy Fin Auvergne (cf. Heawood 3312, example dated to Paris 1793). A first edition impression with vibrant hand coloring. Negligible marginal nicks, two paper losses in upper center margin outside platemark, clean tear in lower right center margin extending halfway into text inside platemark with no loss (all professionally restored), two small waterstains upper edge of sheet, faint large waterstain in right margin touching but not affecting image, slight edge browning on upper and left edges, negligible marginal foxing outside platemark, otherwise fine condition, a strong impression with brilliant coloring.
In Paulina’s chapel the rebuked Leontes exclaims “What fine
chisel / Could ever yet cut breath?” and cannot resist leaning to
kiss the statue of his wronged queen Hermione. Paulina insists that he “…
forbear: / The ruddiness upon her lip is wet; / You'll mar it if you kiss
it; stain your own / With oily painting. Shall I draw the curtain?”
Thus Leontes is lured by Paulina’s spell into rekindled desire, as
Paulina strikes new life into Hermione at the finale of Winter’s
Tale. William Hamilton’s design is known in at least three preliminary
versions culminating in the large scale painting signed and dated 1790 which
was exhibited in Boydell’s Shakespeare Gallery in Pall Mall, although
conceived independently of Hamilton’s project for a number of other
designs for the Gallery. This brilliantly colored impression was published
in London in 1793; the uncolored first edition prints were compiled into
the legendary Boydell atlas Shakespeare of 1803.
Price: $1,500
Inquiries: mail@mobysnewt.com
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