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Secondary sourcePainting1719

Portrait of William Shakespeare, 1719 engraving

1719

An 18th-century engraved oval portrait of Shakespeare with a laurel wreath, printed in a bound book.

A later idealized portrait of Shakespeare printed in a book, showing how he was honored as a literary figure long after his death.

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Engraved oval portrait of William Shakespeare with a laurel wreath and banner reading 'William Shakespeare', set on a pedestal with a coat of arms and a four-line verse below, printed on a page of a bound book.
Engraved portrait of William Shakespeare, 1719. The Albertina Museum.

About this source

What it is

This 1719 engraving shows William Shakespeare in an oval frame, wearing a laurel wreath, with a banner naming him and a coat of arms and four-line verse printed below. It appears on a page of a bound book and is held today by the Albertina Museum in Austria.

Why it matters

Created more than a century after Shakespeare's death, this portrait was not drawn from life but reflects how 18th-century publishers and readers imagined and honored him as a great writer. The laurel wreath, a traditional symbol of poetic achievement, and the coat of arms show Shakespeare being presented as a classic literary figure worthy of lasting fame, likely as part of a printed edition of his works.

Why it matters

Look closer

  • Why might the artist have chosen a laurel wreath to decorate Shakespeare's image?
  • What might the coat of arms and verse beneath the portrait be trying to say about Shakespeare's status?
  • How does this printed book portrait differ from a photograph or a portrait painted from life?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of William Shakespeare on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Title page of the First Folio of Shakespeare's plays. Large text reads 'Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies' and 'Published according to the True Originall Copies.' Below is an engraved portrait of a balding man with a moustache and a large white collar. At the bottom: 'London, Printed by Isaac Jaggard, and Ed. Blount. 1623.'Book

Primary source

First Folio

William Shakespeare · 1623

Pencil or ink profile drawing on tan paper, facing left, of a man with a bald crown, long wavy hair at the back and sides, a beard, and a plain collared garment. Thin border lines frame the sheet.Painting

Secondary source

Profile Drawing of William Shakespeare

Johann Kaspar Lavater · c. 1793

Black-and-white engraved portrait of a bald-headed man with a pointed beard and moustache, wearing a large lace collar and dark buttoned doublet, set in a rectangular frame. Below is a handwritten signature reading William Shakespeare. Engraver credit at lower right reads H. Robinson sculp.Painting

Secondary source

William Shakespeare engraving by John Henry Robinson

John Henry Robinson · 30 November 1827

Ten Lectures on ShakespeareDocument

Primary source

Ten Lectures on Shakespeare

Literary School · 1889

Book

Primary source

Macbeth

William Shakespeare · c. 1606

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