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Herbert Beerbohm Tree as King John in <i>King John</i> by William Shakespeare

Charles Buchel

1900

paint

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Impressionism Early Modern

Dominant colour

Herbert Beerbohm Tree as King John in <i>King John</i> by William Shakespeare is a 1900 paint by Charles Buchel, a Impressionism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: Charles Buchel
When & what style?: 1900 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This painting shows Herbert Beerbohm Tree dressed as King John. He's wearing a fancy costume, holding a scepter. The painting is interesting because it shows a famous actor in a famous role. The actor, Herbert Beerbohm Tree, was known for his Shakespeare productions. He staged these productions at his theater in London's West End. To learn more about the style of this painting, look into the technique of chiaroscuro.

The story of this work

Overview

Charles Buchel’s 1900 oil painting depicts Herbert Beerbohm Tree in the role of King John from Shakespeare’s play, shown in Act 4, Scene 2. Tree is seated on a stepped dais draped in red carpet adorned with a gold heraldic lion, wearing a sumptuous gold silk robe and a fur-lined cloth-of-gold cloak, with a crown modeled after the effigy at Worcester Cathedral. His expression conveys distress as he rests his head on his left hand while gripping the throne’s arm with his right. The painting was created in Buchel’s studio, where Tree posed in full costume and makeup.

Read the full account in the museum source.

About the artist

Artist

Charles Buchel

Charles Buchel (Karl August Büchel) (1872–1950) was a British artist. Buchel was born in Mainz, Germany, but immigrated to England as a child. Buchel studied art at the Royal Academy Schools. He was hired by the…

See the richer artist page