David Garrick as King Lear
c. 1815
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
73 × 59.7 cm (28 3/4 × 23 1/2 in.); Framed: 93.4 × 79.4 × 8.9 cm (36 3/4 × 31 1/4 × 3 1/2 in.)
Classification
oil on canvas
Department
Painting and Sculpture of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
146648
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
David Garrick, one of the most influential actors of 18th century Britain, appears here in the guise of the titular character from William Shakespeare’s King Lear, a role he played numerous times on the stage. The play follows Lear’s mental breakdown after he relinquishes his power and divides his kingdom between two of his daughters. In this portrait, made after Garrick’s passing and based on prints created from his death mask, the actor wears a crown of wheat and wildflowers in reference to a ...