Hamlet Contemplating Yorick’s Skull 1828

Eugène Delacroix’s “Hamlet Contemplating Yorick’s Skull” (1828) is a lithograph depicting a scene from Shakespeare’s *Hamlet*. The scene captures the moment Hamlet contemplates the skull of Yorick, the jester, in a graveyard. The composition is centered around Hamlet, who is standing with his hand resting on the skull. The use of chiaroscuro creates a dramatic and melancholic atmosphere, highlighting the emotional turmoil of the play's protagonist. The image's somber tone evokes the play's themes of death, mortality, and the fragility of life. This print exemplifies Delacroix's talent for combining realism with dramatic expression.