Charles Kean as Hamlet in <i>Hamlet</i> by William Shakespeare
1835
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1835
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
A man in a dark, fancy 19th-century outfit stands with one hand in his pocket. His jacket is black with shiny buttons, and his white lace collar peeks out. Behind him, a dark curtain hangs, and a faint figure in the corner looks like another person. The floor is plain wood, and a red object sits in the shadows to the left. This painting shows an actor playing Hamlet, Shakespeare’s famous troubled prince. The dark lighting makes the figure stand out against the background. Look up chiaroscuro to see how artists use light and shadow like this.
