Engraving emotion

Pictured above are the three volumes of a late-nineteenth century set of Shakespeare's comedies, histories, and tragedies published by Cassell, Petter & Galpin (London, New York). The late nineteenth century should be seen as a high water mark for the publication of many well-made and beautifully illustrated books with aesthetically pleasing bindings, and these volumes hold to that standard.

Among the many steel and wood engravings featured in this edition are numerous works of the British engraver and illustrator Frederick Wentworth, whose active artistic career extended from about 1865 - 1894. Wentworth was among a number of illustrators at the time who took advantage of the opportunity to use the flowing lines that the clothing of the Shakespearean period frequently produced, and he coupled that enthusiasm with his consistent efforts to portray moments of the highest tension in Shakespeare's plays.

Below are his scenes of a horrified Macbeth cringing at the sight of the ghost of Banquo at his feast, and of Emilia defiantly challenging Othello's charges of faithlessness in the innocent but now lifeless Desdemona.

Clearly, Shakespeare's plays were a feast for the artist who liked to combine the curved line reminiscent of the Baroque with emotional drama of the highest order.