Secondary sourceSculpture1870

William Shakespeare

John Quincy Adams Ward · 1870

A bronze statue of Shakespeare in Central Park, partly funded by a 1864 benefit performance of Julius Caesar in which Booth acted with his brothers.

Funded partly by the 1864 Julius Caesar benefit, the only performance where Booth acted alongside both his actor brothers.

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Bronze statue of William Shakespeare standing on a granite pedestal in a park, with green tree foliage behind. The figure wears Elizabethan dress with a cloak, pleated trunk hose, and holds a book at his chest. Base inscription reads J Q A Ward 1870. — John Quincy Adams Ward, William Shakespeare, 1870. Central Park, New York.

About this source

What it is

This bronze statue of William Shakespeare, made by sculptor John Quincy Adams Ward, stands in Central Park in Manhattan. Its cornerstone was laid in 1864, and the finished statue was unveiled in 1872. Ward based the likeness on several famous portraits of Shakespeare, and the costume was modeled on one worn by Edwin Booth.

Why it matters

Part of the money for this statue came from a 1864 benefit performance of Julius Caesar, the only time John Wilkes Booth ever acted on stage together with his brothers Junius Brutus Booth Jr. and Edwin Booth. The night of that performance was marked by a Confederate attempt to set fires in Manhattan, and John Wilkes's sympathetic reaction to the news reportedly caused a bitter break with Edwin. Less than a year later, John Wilkes assassinated President Lincoln.

Why might a family of famous actors have performed together for a charity statue of Shakespeare?
What does the story behind the statue's funding reveal about the divided loyalties within the Booth family?
How does this object connect a famous artist's monument to one of the most dramatic assassinations in American history?

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