Cassandra, from Twelve Characters from Shakespeare
originally published March 15, 1776, published 1809
Medium
Etching on cream wove paper
Dimensions
Plate: 40 × 32.3 cm (15 3/4 × 12 3/4 in.); Sheet: 59.5 × 43.8 cm (23 7/16 × 17 1/4 in.)
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
155627
Art Historical Context
Behold *Cassandra, from Twelve Characters from Shakespeare*, a captivating etching by the British artist John Hamilton Mortimer1740–1779). Created as part of a series inspired by Shakespeare's dramatic personas, this print originally appeared in 1776 and was republished in 1809 reflecting enduring fascination with the Bard during the Romantic era. Mortimer, celebrated for his bold, expressive style bridging Rococo elegance and proto-Romantic intensity, drew from *Troilus and Cressida portraying the tragic prophetess Cassandra—doomed to foresee Troy's fall yet disbelieved by all. Rendered in e...
About the Artist
John Hamilton Mortimer · 1740–1779
Comment on works: History; Portraits; Genre