Edmund Kean as Richard III
- Artist: Edward Baldwyn
- Artist: John Boaden
- Date: 1814
- Medium: stipple
- Dimensions: Long Term Loan
- Portrays: Edmund Kean
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This is a stipple portrait of the English actor Edmund Kean in costume as King Richard III, printed on March 8, 1814. You’ll notice Kean’s face rendered with fine dotting that gives the flesh a delicate texture. The costume is richly detailed: a feathered cap, a wide collar, and the deep velvet cloak that suggests royal power. His hands rest lightly on a scepter‑shaped prop, hinting at regency.
The image was produced by Edward Baldwyn, a print publisher, from an original work by John Boaden, a portrait painter of the early 19th century. The collaboration shows how prints translated painted works into more affordable art for the public.
Kean (1787‑1833) was a popular stage actor, and his likeness here ties theatre and royalty in one image—both powerful subjects of visual storytelling at that time.
See it in person
Edmund Kean as Richard III is in the collection of The National Portrait Gallery at St Martin's Place, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
