The Play Scene from ‘Hamlet’

Location

Country: Denmark
City: Copenhagen
Place: British Embassy

Daniel Maclise was the son of a Highland soldier from Cork and studied at Cork School of Art. In 1825 he sketched Sir Walter Scott and the resulting lithograph led to commissions for portrait sketches. He entered the Royal Academy schools in 1828 and showed particular interest in mythological and historical subjects. He later designed illustrations for Dickens's Christmas books and contributed to ‘Fraser's Magazine’. In 1858, he commenced ‘The Meeting of Wellington and Blücher’ at Westminster Palace; begun in fresco but completed using water-glass painting. Its companion, ‘The Death of Nelson’, was finished in 1864. A member of the Royal Academy, Maclise became reclusive in later life. He died of pneumonia in 1870.

Places

Subjects

statue (as Subject), book, Shakespeare, William, drama, theatre, stage, actor/actress, genre, boy, man, woman, armour, helmet, halberd, sword, steps, curtain, stool, chair

Materials & Techniques

paper (as artists material), watercolour (as artists materials), watercolour (as object name)

Artist

Daniel, (after) Maclise

Title

The Play Scene from ‘Hamlet’

Date

Medium

Watercolour on paper

Dimensions

height: 56.00 cm, width: 98.00 cm

Acquisition

Purchased from Christie's, 22 February 1977

Provenance

Sold through Christie's, London, on 22 February 1977 (Lot 127); from which sale purchased by the Department of the Environment

GAC number

12904