Artwork
The Infant Shakespeare, Attended by Nature and the Passions
The Infant Shakespeare, Attended by Nature and the Passions is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Benjamin Smith. It dates from 1799 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower left in plate: Painted by George Romney; lower right in plate: Engraved by Benj.n Smith ; lower center in plate: THE INFANT SHAKESPEARE. / attended by / Nature and the Passions / Pub.d Sept.r 29, 1799, by J & J BOYDELL, athe the Shakspeare Gallery, Pall Mall; & No. 90, Cheapside, London; Nature is represented with her face unveiled to her favourite / Child, who is placed between Joy and Sorrow / On the right hand of Nature, are Love, Hatred, & / Jealousy; on her left hand, Anger, Envy, & Fear
About this work
Four small angels, the Passions, hover close, each with a different look, happy, sad, angry, surprised.
This etching shows a baby Shakespeare sitting on clouds. Nature, a woman in green, hands him a quill. Four small angels, the Passions, hover close, each with a different look, happy, sad, angry, surprised.
The print was made in 1799 by Benjamin Smith. It copies a fancy painting from before, but with more detail in the faces and clothes. The paper feels soft, like old fabric.
Look up Smith, Benjamin next.
Overview
The Infant Shakespeare, Attended by Nature and the Passions is a print created by Benjamin Smith in 1799 using stipple etching and engraving on wove paper.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts a baby Shakespeare on clouds, receiving a quill from Nature, a woman in green, while four small angels representing the Passions hover nearby, displaying various emotions.
Technique & Style
The print is a reproduction of an earlier painting, with added detail in the faces and drapery, and is characterized by the soft texture of the wove paper.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
