ticketsMember | Make a donation

Infant Shakespeare Attended by Nature and the Passions

1799
Not on view
Romney conceived this secular adoration to illuminate Shakespeare’s genius. It focuses on the baby poet blessed by cloaked Nature and watched by figures that embody human emotions. Joy and Sorrow act as chief attendants, while Love, Hatred, and Jealousy watch from the left and Anger, Envy, and Fear stand at right—the group a reminder of the mature playwright’s astounding range. The engraver created this proof to check his progress, with some areas still undeveloped and the stippling at an early stage. When complete, the print introduced a 
folio-size set of engravings based on paintings shown at the publisher John Boydell’s Shakespeare Gallery in London’s Pall Mall.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Infant Shakespeare Attended by Nature and the Passions
  • Series/Portfolio: Boydell's Shakespeare Gallery
  • Engraver: Benjamin Smith (British, active 1786–1833)
  • Artist: After George Romney (British, Beckside, Lancashire 1734–1802 Kendal, Cumbria)
  • Publisher: John & Josiah Boydell (British, 1786–1804)
  • Subject: William Shakespeare (British, Stratford-upon-Avon 1564–1616 Stratford-upon-Avon)
  • Published in: London
  • Date: 1799
  • Medium: Stipple engraving; early trial state
  • Dimensions: Sheet (trimmed to image): 17 1/8 × 23 1/8 in. (43.5 × 58.7 cm)
  • Classification: Prints
  • Credit Line: The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1949
  • Object Number: 49.49.3
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
William Hogarth, Benjamin Smith British, Stipple engraving and etching
William Hogarth
Multiple artists/makers
June 4, 1795
Sigismonda (Sigismunda), Benjamin Smith British, Etching and engraving
Sigismonda (Sigismunda)
Multiple artists/makers
June 4, 1795
William Hogarth, Benjamin Smith British, Stipple engraving
William Hogarth
Multiple artists/makers
June 4, 1795
Providence
Multiple artists/makers
1799
Innocence
Multiple artists/makers
1799

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.