Oh! Oh! Oh!, plate fourteen from Othello

Art Historical Context

Théodore Chasséri, a prodigious French artist of the Romantic era (1819–1856), created *Oh! Oh! Oh!*, plate fourteen from his1844 series of etch illustrating William Shakespeare's tragedy *Othello*. At just 25 years old Chassériau drew inspiration from the play's raw emotional turmoil—here capturing a moment of anguished outcry amid jealousy and betrayal. His illustrations bridged neoclassical precision, learned from his teacher Ingres, with the dramatic intensity of Delacroix, reflecting the 19th-century Romantic fascination with Shakespearean drama and exotic, passionate narratives. This print masterfully employs etching, engraving, and roulette techniques on delicate ivory China paper, laid down on sturdy white wove paper for preservation. Etching allows fluid, expressive lines, while the roulette—a toothed wheel—adds velvety textures, evoking the play's heightened tension. Measuring 31.5 × 24.6 cm in its image area, the work exemplifies the technical virtuosity of mid-19th-century French printmaking, making literary scenes accessible to a wider audience through affordable reproductions. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints and Drawings department, this piece highlights Chassériau's early genius and his pivotal role in Romantic illustration, blending literary adaptation with innovative graphic artistry for enduring cultural resonance.

About the Artist

Théodore Chassériau · 1819–1856

Théodore Chassériau was born on September 20, 1819, in El Limón, Samaná, in the Spanish colony of Santo Domingo — present-day Dominican Republic — to a French father and a Creole mother. The family relocated to Paris in 1820, and the young Chassériau's exceptional talent was evident almost immediately. At just eleven years old, in 1830, he was accepted into the prestigious studio of Jean-Auguste-D...