The Rape of Lucrece (Shakespeare)
Medium
Etching and engraving
Dimensions
Sheet: 3 7/16 × 2 9/16 in. (8.8 × 6.5 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Harriet McDonald, 1941
Accession Number
41.91.163
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate etching and engraving, titledThe Rape of Lucrece (after Shakespeare), captures a pivotal moment from William Shakespeare's narrative poem of 1594. The poem recounts the tragic story of Lucretia, a virtuous Roman noblewoman whose assault by the tyrannical Sextus Tarquinius sparks the overthrow of Rome's monarchy. Produced between 1825 and 1840 by Henry Corbould and engraver Charles Rolls, print reflects the 19th-century British fascination with Shakespearean drama, blending classical antiquity with Romantic sensibilities. Corbould, known for his historical scenes, likely designed...
About the Artist
William Shakespeare|Charles Rolls|Henry Corbould (British|British|British|British) · 1840 |1831 |1564 |1564 –1877 |1912 |1616 |1616
British, active 1840–77|British, London 1831–1912 London|British, Stratford-upon-Avon 1564–1616 Stratford-upon-Avon|British, Stratford-upon-Avon 1564–1616 Stratford-upon-Avon