Artwork
Lear and Cordelia
Lear and Cordelia is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Butts, Jr., Thomas. It dates from 1807 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Created around 1807, this black‑and‑white engraving by Thomas Butts Jr.
About this work
Overview
Created around 1807, this black‑and‑white engraving by Thomas Butts Jr. presents the figures of Lear and his daughter Cordelia within a circular composition. The work pairs the two characters side by side, each rendered in profile, and is executed entirely with line work rather than pigment.
Subject & Meaning
The image captures the tragic king Lear alongside his loyal daughter Cordelia, a motif drawn from Shakespeare’s drama. Their juxtaposed gazes and calm demeanors suggest a moment of contemplation, emphasizing the contrast between Lear’s stern authority and Cordelia’s gentle resolve.
Technique & Style
Butts employs delicate cross‑hatching to model the faces, using intersecting lines to suggest volume in the beard, hair, and shadows. This method allows subtle gradations of tone without any color, a hallmark of early 19th‑century printmaking that emphasizes precision and texture.
History & Provenance
The engraving was produced in the early nineteenth century, likely for a market interested in literary subjects. It bears the signature of Thomas Butts Jr., a known English engraver, and has been catalogued in several collections of Shakespeare‑related prints, confirming its attribution and dating.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
