18th & 19th Centuries

The Works of Shakespeare
Oxford: Printed at the Theatre, 1744.

Edited by Sir Thomas Hanmer, this 6 volume edition includes a preface by Alexander Pope. Thirty one of the plates in this edition are by Francis Hayman (1708-1776), and the remaining five are by Hubert Gravelot (1699-1773). All are engraved by Gravelot, who also executed the tail-pieces. This was an important edition, blending Gravelot's more rococo French style with Hayman's English style. Shown here is a plate titled The Life and Death of Richard III, illustration by Hubert Gravelot.

Sir Thomas Hanmer retained a great deal of control over the illustrations for this edition, although not all of the illustrations follow his directions. The contract between Hanmer and Francis Hayman begins, "The said Francis Hayman is to design and delineate a drawing to be prefix'd to each Play of Shakespear taking the subject of such scenes as Sr Thomas Hanmer shall direct ...". Not all drawings Hayman did met with Hanmer's approval. He wrote to Hayman, "I return you the three projects you sent me for Drawings, upon which I take it to be my business to criticise that you may reconsider and improve upon them." Below is Hanmer's recommendation for the illustration for Love's Labours Lost which is shown here.

Love's Labours Lost, illustration by Francis Hayman "A pleasant Countrey with a rich tent appearing at a little distance either in whole or in part. The french Princess with the three Ladies who accompany her. To them enter Boyet a french Gentleman as in hast and in a merry laughing mood. He points backward as giving them intelligence of the King and his company coming in a ridiculous disguise."

The Plays of William Shakespeare
From the corrected text of Johnson and Steevens.
London: Printed for John Stockdale, 1807.

The plates in this 6 volume set are from the Boydell Shakespeare Gallery.Shown here illustrating a scene from The Tempest is the work of Matthew William Peters (1741-1814); his five paintings for the Gallery were very popular at the time.

This illustration from King Lear is from a painting by Robert Smirke (1752-1845). Smirke was one of the major contributors to the Boydell Shakespeare Gallery, contributing 26 pictures.

From King Henry VI, "The Death of Cardinal Beaufort" by Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792) was considered the finest painting in the Gallery, and Reynold's best work.

This scene from Antony and Cleopatra is by Henry Tresham.

A scene from Richard II by William Hamilton

The Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare
Chiswick: Printed by C. Whittingham, 1823
Illustrations by John Thurston (1774-1822).

The Works of Shakespeare
Revised from the best authorities: with a memoir, and essay on his genius, by Barry Cornwall: also, annotations and introductory remarks on the plays, by many distinguished writers. London: Robert Tyas, 1843.

Illustrated with wood engravings from designs by Kenny Meadows (1790-1874). This is the first edition to seriously attempt to integrate the text and the illustrations on the page.

The American Edition of Boydell's Illustrations of the Dramatic Works of Shakespeare
New York: Restored and published with original descriptions of the plates by Shearjashub Spooner, 1852.
This two volume set contains the prints from the Boydell Shakespeare gallery. Shown here is a plate by Henry (Johann Heinrich) Fuseli for Midsummer Night's Dream.

The Works of Shakespeare
Imperial edition New York: Virtue & Yorston, (1875-1876)