Coriolanus and Aufidius (Shakespeare, Coriolanus, Act 4, Scene 5) 1825 - 1840

Curator: Here we have an engraving titled “Coriolanus and Aufidius (Shakespeare, Coriolanus, Act 4, Scene 5),” likely produced between 1825 and 1840, after a drawing made by Charles Heath the elder. Editor: My goodness, what a charged encounter! It looks like a clash of titans frozen mid-battle, so heavy with unspoken words... Look at the dramatic light, really pulling at my emotions! Curator: Yes, that Romantic aesthetic comes through strongly. This work exemplifies a period of interest in theater, specifically Shakespeare. Notice how the engraving renders the actors in classical garb within what seems to be a very theatrical setting. Editor: Absolutely, the setting itself feels more like a stage than a real place. But the materials used by the engraver make the emotions incredibly palpable. The texture in the lines adds real gravity. The draping of those robes has an amazing visual weight! Curator: That's partly due to the meticulous process. Engravings require a high degree of skill in manually incising lines onto a metal plate, which would then be used to create multiple prints. Think of the labor invested to render this drama for a wider audience, allowing mass consumption. Editor: That almost feels at odds with the intimate tension of the scene, doesn't it? There's Coriolanus looking away, almost as if ashamed and Aufidius has such fiery intent... I bet this resonates as much today! Even a bit intimidating and masculine. Curator: Masculinity in crisis, certainly a key theme during the Romantic period, exploring conflicts between the personal and the political. And engravings like these facilitated dialogue. Editor: It makes me ponder who can make such lasting marks through material practices of printing making— like this print does even now as we gaze at these long lost, once relevant faces. Curator: Precisely, how accessible and reproductive processes affect narratives of power and identity. Editor: I’m going to go re-read some Shakespeare; it’s like this piece ignited something long gone to feel so visceral here. Curator: Well, this print has surely played its own part to add a fresh interpretation into a cultural narrative which has evolved through these sorts of images of material value across the arts.