drawing
- Museum number
- 1974,0406.11
- Description
-
Hamlet and Ophelia, illustration to Shakespeare's 'Hamlet'; room interior, with Ophelia standing and burying her face in her left hand, an open book on the ground before her and behind her a seat with high sides, against one of which Hamlet leans. c.1853-54
Pen and brown ink, with brown wash, over graphite
- Production date
- 1853-1854
- Dimensions
-
Height: 257 millimetres
-
Width: 181 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- This is an early study (of a different composition), for the finished drawing of 'Hamlet and Ophelia' (1910,1210.8). See 'Pre-Raphaelite' exh., Tate Gallery, 1984, entry for no. 211.
The backing board of the original frame was inscribed: "Henry Holiday Wansfell 18 Chesterford Gardens Hampstead NW3"; Agnew's label (no. 37095) was attached to back of modern mount.
Gere 1994
This simpler, and evidently earlier, treatment of the subject of 1910,1210.8 (q.v.) did not come to light until after the publication of Virginia Surtees's catalogue. It can hardly be much later than c.1854. Another drawing of the two figures, in Birmingham (S 108a), could be even earlier.
- Location
- Not on display
- Exhibition history
-
1976 BM, Recent Acquisitions, (no cat.)
1988 April-May, Ramsgate AG, 'Dante Gabriel Rossetti', (no cat.)
1994/5 Sep-Jan, BM, Pre-Raphaelite Drawings, no. 9
- Associated titles
Associated Title: Hamlet
- Acquisition date
- 1974
- Acquisition notes
- According to Jolly's of Bath 1974 sale catalogue (lot 175), based on an old label on the back of an old frame, Rossetti gave this drawing to Henry Holiday and it remained in his family until consigned to Jolly's. However, there is an inscription in pencil in the lower right of the drawing which is difficult to read but may indicate Rossetti gave it to Simeon Solomon originally, who was a close friend and fellow student of Holiday at the RA Schools in the 1850s.
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1974,0406.11