Portraits of Shakespeare, and On the Sonnets of Shakespeare

A one-volume reissue of works, published 1824–7, examining portraits of Shakespeare, including an 1837 essay on his sonnets' dedicatee.

James Boaden (Author), Abraham Wivell (Author)

9781108064880, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 27 June 2013

506 pages, 12 b/w illus.
25.4 x 17.8 x 2.6 cm, 0.87 kg

From his funerary monument in Stratford-upon-Avon to the engraving by Droeshout in the First Folio, the depictions of William Shakespeare (1564–1616) have long been the subject of scrutiny. Equally, the mystery surrounding the identity of 'W. H.', the dedicatee of Shakespeare's sonnets, continues to capture the imagination. This volume brings together three works that were originally published separately: two pieces on the portraits and one on the sonnets. A playwright turned theatrical biographer, James Boaden (1762–1839) cultivated a lifelong interest in Shakespeare. His illustrated 1824 analysis of the portraits examines the evidence concerning their authenticity. This is followed by an 1827 investigation by the portrait painter Abraham Wivell (1786–1849), who engages critically with Boaden's findings and those of others. Finally, Boaden's 1837 essay on the sonnets presents the case for naming William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke, as their dedicatee - a claim taken up by many later scholars.

An inquiry into the authenticity of various pictures and prints which have been offered to the public as portraits of Shakespeare
An inquiry into the history, authenticity, and characteristics of the Shakespeare portraits
On the sonnets of Shakespeare.

Subject Areas: Theatre studies [AN]