Hamlet 

John Austen made these illustrations for Shakespeare’s Hamlet in the early twentieth century. It’s important to remember that Shakespeare had a strong public role, and these images engage with the social dynamics of literature. In looking at these works, one might ask what are the politics of imagery here? What are the social conditions that shaped Austen’s artistic production? The artist makes use of visual codes and cultural references that would be familiar to a British audience in the interwar years. The influence of art nouveau and Aubrey Beardsley are palpable. His references to classical and renaissance imagery give the viewer a sense of how the play has been received institutionally, over a period of centuries. One could examine theater reviews and books of Shakespearean criticism to understand better how this play has been interpreted over time.