H Beard Print Collection
1814
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1814
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
This print pokes fun at two famous actors fighting over Shakespeare’s Richard III. It’s titled *The Rival Richards* and comes from around 1814. The picture shows William Shakespeare stuck between Charles Mayne Young and Edmund Kean—both dressed as the villain Richard III. The joke? It’s all about who played Richard III better in 1814. Kean was the new hot actor, and Young wasn’t happy about it. Satirical prints like this spread fast because people loved gossip and drama. Check out the Victoria and Albert Museum for more prints.
