Lady Macbeth (Shakespeare, Macbeth, Act 1, Scene 5) 1800

Editor: This is "Lady Macbeth (Shakespeare, Macbeth, Act 1, Scene 5)," an engraving from 1800, housed here at the Met. Looking at it, I’m struck by her intensity—she’s lost in a world of her own making, I guess. What's your take on this artwork? Curator: Ah, Lady Macbeth. A fascinating depiction of ambition consuming the soul, isn't it? The artist captures her at a breaking point. It's a dance between Romanticism's fascination with intense emotion and history painting’s dramatic flair. Editor: That's true. It looks pretty dramatic. How does it compare to modern-day acting? Curator: Very insightful question! Actors in the 1800s really made you feel every breath and movement with a heightened expressiveness – big gestures, almost theatrical. Think about it, in this print, her posture is stiff and unyielding as a column! What feelings do you imagine the column conveys to her audience in her presence? Editor: Maybe it emphasizes her desire for power and control. This is how others perceive her; meanwhile she appears delicate, or troubled inside? Curator: Precisely! We only perceive her inner world, so you begin to read that turmoil into the rest of the image – every detail. And that is how stories turn from reality into drama. What do you notice in terms of line work and shading? Does that play a part in evoking feelings from you? Editor: I didn’t consider this image would pull me in so much... Now that you point it out, I noticed those stark contrasts create so much dramatic effect, so unsettling but also draws me to wanting to look closer. Curator: Isn’t that magnificent? This engraving isn't just a depiction; it’s an emotional earthquake etched onto paper, that continues to pull and connect us. Editor: I see it now – the engraving really makes you experience the dramatic depths of the play in one image, something words on a page struggle to convey. Curator: Absolutely! Art gives us an intimate and vulnerable connection with our human selves!