Loading Events

Shakespeare in Art

Tempests, Tyrants and Tragedy

Sat 19 March 2016

Book Now
Shakespeare in Art

Shakespeare was a master of dramatising human emotions in their myriad forms. His plays are as relevant to us today as they were over 400 years ago and they remain a vital source of inspiration to artists. This major new exhibition focuses on pivotal Shakespeare plays, including The Tempest, Hamlet, Macbeth and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, all of which have motivated artists across the ages, from George Romney, Henry Fuseli, DG Rossetti, John Singer Sargent and GF Watts to Karl Weschke, Kristin & Davy McGuire and Tom Hunter.

Commemorating the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, Shakespeare in Art offers an exceptional opportunity for art and theatre lovers to discover his works through a unique series of theatrical encounters. These include paintings, photography, projection and a sound score and readings by leading Royal Shakespeare Company actors. Uniquely for an art gallery, the exhibition will be designed by the RSC Director of Design, Stephen Brimson Lewis.

Organised by Compton Verney in association with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Advised by Michael Dobson, Director of the Shakespeare Institute and Professor of Shakespeare Studies, University of Birmingham.

Credits

Kristin and Davy McGuire, Ophelia's Ghost, © Photographed by Electric Egg

"Don't miss - Specially-commissioned audio recordings of Shakespeare’s plays performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company bring the display to life."
The Art Fund
"...an exhibition as atmospherically evocative as it is fun and informative."
Rachel Campbell-Johnston, The Times
"This exhibition offers an exceptional opportunity for both art and theatre lovers to reimagine Shakespeare’s works through a unique series of multi-media encounters;"
Shakespeare's England
"There's more than a little bit of theatre about the new exhibition at Compton Verney....multimedia and multi-sensory elements, give the visitor a truly immersive experience."
Stratford Observer
"Staged with flair by Royal Shakespeare Company design director Stephen Brimson Lewis, the engrossing spring exhibition Shakespeare in Art: Tempests, Tyrants and Tragedy at Compton Verney, 10 miles east of Stratford-upon-Avon, fuses immersive installations of paintings, photographs and performances to explore Shakespearean iconography, now and across the centuries."
Financial Times