Edmund Kean as Shylock
- Artist: R. Barnard
- Artist: Henry Meyer
- Artist: Walter Henry Watts
- Date: 1814
- Medium: mezzotint
- 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 “Edmund Kean as Shylock.” The image shows the actor in full costume, with a solemn expression that captures the moment of the famous line about money. A sword rests beside his foot, hinting at the play’s dramatic tension. The overall tone is flat and precise, typical of mezzotint prints of the early 19th century. You can see the fine hatching in the robe’s folds and the small details of the mask over his head.
The print was made by R. Barnard, who produced it from a drawing by Henry Meyer. The engraving is dated 1814, and Barnard published it on 2 May that year after a design by Walter Henry Watts. It shows how quickly such prints were shared among publishers in London.
Kean was a popular actor of the era; this portrait is one of 43 that survive. The mezzotint’s deep blacks give the costume a dramatic weight, and the subtle highlights on his face hint at stage light catching his features. Enjoy the quiet detail: the hand resting near the dagger, the shadow in the costume’s collar—those small touches bring the theatre to life for a moment.
See it in person
Edmund Kean as Shylock 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.
