The Merchant of Venice before 1876

This photographic print, titled "The Merchant of Venice," was made by Alfred Brewer in the 19th century, and it shows the characters Portia and Shylock from Shakespeare's play. Alfred Brewer made this photograph during the Victorian era, a time when the plays of Shakespeare enjoyed immense popularity, and the development of photography allowed for the mass reproduction of images and the dissemination of culture. The theatre plays were very popular in high society and the social structures are always present in Shakespear's work, where the concept of love and social class are always interlaced. "The Merchant of Venice" stages the conflict between the merchant Antonio and the jew Shylock. Understanding this photograph requires us to look at the image as a cultural artifact, embedded in the social and institutional context of the 19th century. In order to understand this work, we might delve into Victorian theatre history and the impact that Shakespeare's plays had in that era.