Edgar

Discussion

FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

John Hamilton Mortimer’s Twelve Heads series of etchings depicting Shakespearian characters exemplifies the subjects’ heightened thought and passion. Three of the Heads include Caliban, a loyal but unruly savage from The Tempest ; Edgar, the son of Gloucester who feigns madness in King Lear ; and the poet played by Theseus in A Midsummer Night’s Dream . Their intense expressions and the oval cropping draw the viewer’s focus into the theatrical action that the prints reference. The accompanying excerpts tie the characters to a particular scene from their respective plays, blending written and visual art.

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