Boydell Shakespeare Gallery

The Boydell Shakespeare Gallery was a collection of pictures commissioned by 18th-century engraver and publisher John Boydell in an effort to foster a school of British history painting. The project contained three parts: an illustrated edition of Shakespeare's plays, a folio of prints from the gallery, and a public gallery where the original paintings for the prints hung. The project was conceived at a dinner in November 1786, the gallery opened in May 1788, and the entire contents were sold and dispersed in 1805.

This Wikimedia Commons gallery collects images of the paintings, engravings, and sculptures generated by Boydell's Shakespeare Gallery.

The lists of art works are taken from Winifred H. Friedman's Boydell's Shakespeare Gallery.

Note: at this point, many images are merely listed, rather than displayed in gallery format.

Sculptures[edit]

Shakespeare attended by Painting and Poetry
by Thomas Banks
engraved by Benjamin Smith
bas relief by Anne Seymour Damer
Coriolanus: Act II, scene 1
engraved by William Satchwell Leney
bas relief by Anne Seymour Damer
Antony and Cleopatra: Act V, scene 2
engraved by Thomas Hellyer

Thomas Banks's sculptural group was originally placed above the entrance to the Shakespeare Gallery in 1789. Despite plans to use it as a monument for John Boydell's tomb after his death in 1804, it remained on the building's façade until its demolition in 1868–69. It was then transported to Stratford-upon-Avon and re-erected in New Place Garden in 1870.

Paintings[edit]

Engravings were made from the paintings for either the folio, the illustrated edition, or sometimes both. The order of the plays used here is that from the Illustrated Edition.

Prospero and Ariel (1797)
by William Hamilton
The Tempest: Act I, scene 2
Macbeth consulting the Vision of the Armed Head
by Henry Fuseli
Macbeth: Act I, scene 3
King Lear in the Storm
by Benjamin West
King Lear: Act III, scene 4
King Lear weeps over Cordelia
by James Barry
King Lear: Act V, scene 3

Engravings from the Folio[edit]

Dedicatory material[edit]

Portrait of George III
by William Beechey
from Vol. 1
engraved by Benjamin Smith
Infant Shakespeare
by George Romney
from Vol. 1
Portrait of Queen Charlotte
by William Beechey
from Vol. 2
Shakespeare Nursed by Tragedy and Comedy
by George Romney
from Vol. 2
engraved by Benjamin Smith

Volume 1[edit]

Tempest, Act I, scenes 1 - 2 by George Romney
Tempest, Act I, scene 2 by Henry Fuseli
Tempest, Act IV, scene 1 by Joseph Wright of Derby
Tempest, Act V, scene 1 by Francis Wheatley
Two Gentlemen of Verona, Act V, scene 3 by Angelica Kauffman
Merry Wives of Windsor, Act I, scene 1 by Robert Smirke
Merry Wives of Windsor, Act II, scene 1 by William Peters
Merry Wives of Windsor, Act III, scene 3 by Matthew Peters
Merry Wives of Windsor, Act IV, scene 2 by Thomas Durno
Merry Wives of Windsor, Act V, scene 5 by Robert Smirke
Measure for Measure, Act I, scene 1 by Robert Smirke
Measure for Measure, Act V, scene 1 by Thomas Kirk
Comedy of Errors, Act V, scene 1 by John Francis Rigaud
Much Ado About Nothing, Act III, scene 1 by Matthew Peters
Much Ado About Nothing, Act IV, scene 1 by William Hamilton
Much Ado About Nothing, Act IV, scene 2 by Robert Smirke
Love's Labour Lost, Act IV, scene 1 by William Hamilton
Midsummer-Night's Dream, Act II, scene 1 by Henry Fuseli
Midsummer-Night's Dream, Act IV, scene 1 by Henry Fuseli
Merchant of Venice, Act II, scene 5 by Robert Smirke
Merchant of Venice, Act V, scene 1 by William Hodges
As You Like It, Act I, scene 2 by John Downman
As You Like It, Act II, scene 1 by William Hodges
As You Like It, Act IV, scene 3 by Raphael Lamar West
As You Like It, Act V, scene 4 by William Hamilton
Taming of the Shrew, Introduction, scene 2 by Robert Smirke
Taming of the Shrew, Act III, scene 2 by Francis Wheatley
All's Well That Ends Well, Act V, scene 3 by Francis Wheatley
Twelfth Night, Act III, scene 4 by Johann Heinrich Ramberg
Twelfth Night, Act V, scene 1 by William Hamilton
Winter's Tale, Act II, scene 3 by John Opie, engraved by Jean Pierre Simon
Winter's Tale, Act III, scene 3 by Joseph Wright of Derby
Winter's Tale, Act IV, scene 3 by Francis Wheatley
Winter's Tale, Act V, scene 3 by William Hamilton
Macbeth, Act I, scene 3 by Henry Fuseli
Macbeth, Act I, scene 5 by Richard Westall
Macbeth, Act IV, scene 1 by Joshua Reynolds
As You Like It, The Seven Ages, Act II, scene 7 by Robert Smirke

Volume 2[edit]

King John, Act IV, scene 1 by James Northcote
King Richard II, Act IV, scene 1 by Mather Browne
King Richard II, Act V, scene 2 by James Northcote
Henry IV, part 1, Act II, scene 2 by Robert Smirke and Joseph Farington
Henry IV, part 1, Act II, scene 4 by Robert Smirke
Henry IV, part 1, Act III, scene 1 by Richard Westall
Henry IV, part 1, Act V, scene 4 by John Francis Rigaud
Henry IV, part 2, Act II, scene 4 by Henry Fuseli
Henry IV, part 2, Act III, scene 2 by Thomas Durno
Henry IV, part 2, Act IV, scene 4 by Josiah Boydell - Prince Henry Taking the Crown
Henry IV, part 2, Act IV, scene 4 by Josiah Boydell - Prince Henry’s Apology
Henry V, Act II, scene 2 by Henry Fuseli
Henry VI, part 1, Act II, scene 3 by John Opie
Henry VI, part 1, Act II, scene 4 by Josiah Boydell
Henry VI, part 1, Act II, scene 5 by James Northcote
Henry VI, part 2, Act I, scene 4 by John Opie
Henry VI, part 2, Act III, scene 3 by Joshua Reynolds
Henry VI, part 3, Act I, scene 3 by James Northcote
Henry VI, part 3, Act II, scene 5 by Josiah Boydell
Henry VI, part 3, Act IV, scene 5 by William Miller
Henry VI, part 3, Act V, scene 7 by James Northcote
Richard III, Act III, scene 1 by James Northcote
Richard III, Act IV, scene 3 by James Northcote - The Young Princes Murdered in the Tower
Richard III, Act IV, scene 3 by James Northcote - Burying of the Royal Children
Henry VIII, Act I, scene 4 by Thomas Stothard
Henry VIII, Act III, scene 1 by Matthew Peters
Henry VIII, Act IV, scene 2 by Richard Westall
Henry VIII, Act V, scene 4 by Matthew Peters
Coriolanus, Act V, scene 3 by Gavin Hamilton
Julius Cæsar, Act IV, scene 3 by Richard Westall
Antony and Cleopatra, Act III, scene 9 by Henry Tresham
Timon of Athens, Act IV, scene 3 by John Opie
Titus Andronicus, Act IV, scene 1 by Thomas Kirk
Troilus and Cressida, Act II, scene 2 by George Romney
Troilus and Cressida, Act V, scene 2 by Angelica Kauffmann
Cymbeline, Act I, scene 2 by William Hamilton
Cymbeline, Act III, scene 4 by John Hoppner
Cymbeline, Act III, scene 6 by Richard Westall
King Lear, Act I, scene 1 by Henry Fuseli
King Lear in the Storm from King Lear, Act III, scene 4 by Benjamin West
King Lear, Act V, scene 3 by James Barry
Romeo and Juliet, Act I, scene 5 by William Miller
Romeo and Juliet, Act IV, scene 5 John Opie
Romeo and Juliet, Act V, scene 3 by James Northcote

Hamlet and the Ghost
by Henry Fuseli
Hamlet: Act I, scene 4
A Bedchamber, Desdemona in Bed Asleep
by John Graham
Othello: Act V, scene 2
Desdemona in Bed Asleep
by Josiah Boydell
Othello: Act V, scene 2

Engravings from the Illustrated edition[edit]

Volume I
The Tempest

Two Gentlemen of Verona

Merry Wives of Windsor

Measure for Measure

Act II, scene 4 by Robert Smirke
Act IV, scene 3 by Robert Smirke

Volume II
The Comedy of Errors

Act I, scene 1 by Francis Wheatley
Act IV, scene 4 by Francis Wheatley

Much Ado About Nothing

Hero, Usrula, and Beatrice (Act III, scene 1) by Matthew Peters
Borachio, Conrado and Watchmen (Act III, scene 3) by Francis Wheatley
Act IV, scene 1 by William Hamilton
Examination (Act IV, scene 2) by Robert Smirke
Act V, scene 4 by Francis Wheatley

Love's Labour's Lost

Act IV, scene 2 by Francis Wheatley
Act V, scene 2 by Francis Wheatley

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Puck (Act II, scene 1) by Henry Fuseli
Puck (Act II, scene 2) by Joshua Reynolds

Volume III
Merchant of Venice

Act III, scene 2 by Richard Westall
Act III, scene 3 by Richard Westall

As You Like It

Jacques and the Wounded Stag (Act II, scene 1) by William Hodges
Act II, scene 6 by Robert Smirke
Act IV, scene 3 by Robert Smirke
Act V, scene 4 by William Hamilton

The Taming of the Shrew

Act IV, scene 1 by Julius Caesar Ibbetson
Act IV, scene 5 by Julius Caesar Ibbetson

All's Well That Ends Well

Act I, scene 3 by Francis Wheatley
Act II, scene 3 by Francis Wheatley

Volume IV
Twelfth-Night

Olivia, Viola and Maria (Act I, scene 5) by William Hamilton
Sir Toby, Sir Andrew and Maria (Act II, scene 3) by William Hamilton
Act IV, scene 3 by William Hamilton

The Winter's Tale

Leontes and Hermione (Act II, scene 1) by William Hamilton
Paulina, Child, Leontes, and Antigonus (Act II, scene 3) by William Hamilton
The Shepherd's Cot (Act IV, scene 3) by William Hamilton

Macbeth

Act I, scene 3 by Richard Westall
Act III, scene 4 by Richard Westall
Act V, scene 1 by Richard Westall

King John

Act IV, scene 3 by Robert Ker Porter
Act III, scene 4 by Richard Westall

Volume V
King Richard II

Act III, scene 2 by William Hamilton
Act V, scene 2 by William Hamilton

First Part of King Henry IV

Act II, scene 1 by Robert Smirke
Act II, scene 3 by Robert Smirke
Act V, scene 4 by Robert Smirke

Second Part of King Henry IV

Act IV, scene 4 by Robert Smirke
Act V, scene 5 by Robert Smirke

King Henry V

Act III, scene 3 by Richard Westall

Volume VI
First Part of King Henry VI

Act II, scene 4 by Josiah Boydell
Act II, scene 5 by William Hamilton
Death of Mortimer (Act II, scene 5) by James Northcote
Joan of Arc and the Furies (Act V, scene 4) by William Hamilton

Second Part of King Henry VI

Act II, scene 2 by William Hamilton
Act III, scene 2 by William Hamilton
Death of Cardinal Beaufort (Act III, scene 3) by Joshua Reynolds

Third Part of King Henry VI

Act III, scene 2 by William Hamilton
Act V, scene 5 by William Hamilton

Richard III

Meeting of the Young Princes (Act III, scene 1) by James Northcote
Act III, scene 4 by Richard Westall
The Young Princes Murdered in the Tower (Act IV, scene 3) by James Northcote

Volume VII
King Henry VIII

Act I, scene 4 by Thomas Stothard
Wolsey Disgraced (Act III, scene 2) by Richard Westall
Act IV, scene 2 by Richard Westall
Act V, scene 1 by Richard Westall

Coriolanus

Act I, scene 3 by Robert Ker Porter
Act IV, scene 5 by Robert Ker Porter

Julius Cæsar

Act III, scene 1 by Richard Westall
Act V, scene 5 by Richard Westall

Antony and Cleopatra

Act IV, scene 4 by Henry Tresham
Death of Cleopatra (Act V, scene 2) by Henry Tresham

Volume VIII
Timon of Athens

Act I, scene 2 by Henry Howard
Act IV, scene 1 by Henry Howard

Titus Andronicus

Act II, scene 3 by Samuel Woodforde
Act IV, scene 1 by Thomas Kirk
Act IV, scene 2 by Thomas Kirk

Troilus and Cressida

Act I, scene 2 by Thomas Kirk
Act V, scene 3 by Thomas Kirk

Cymbeline

Act II, scene 2 by Richard Westall
Act II, scene 4 by Richard Westall
Act III, scene 6 by Richard Westall

Volume IX
King Lear

Act I, scene 1 by Robert Smirke
Act III, scene 4 by Robert Smirke
Act IV, scene 7 by Robert Smirke

Romeo and Juliet

Act I, scene 5

by William Miller
engraved by A. Smith
Act II, scene 5

by Robert Smirke
engraved by James Parker
Act III, scene 5

by John Francis Rigaud
engraved by James Stow
Act IV, scene 5
Capulet Finds Juliet Dead
by John Opie
engraved by Jean Pierre Simon