"O Spartan dog": plate 15 from Othello (Act 5, Scene 2) 1844

Théodore Chassériau created this print, "O Spartan dog", sometime in the mid-19th century. The scene is from Shakespeare's Othello, a play full of social commentary on race, class, and gender. Chassériau’s choice to depict this scene speaks volumes about 19th-century French society and its relationship to the theater. Theater attendance was a social activity that reflected class and cultural values. The visual codes in this image – the lighting, the figures’ gestures, and the composition itself – all contribute to the drama and moral weight of the scene. Chassériau’s Othello might be understood to be a commentary on the racial stereotypes in Shakespeare's play. Is the artist celebrating or critiquing the social order? To really understand this print, one needs to consider the cultural and institutional contexts in which it was made and consumed. We need to look at theater reviews, audience demographics, and the artist’s other works to find the answers.