Illustration for Tales From Shakespeare 1923

Curator: I find this scene immediately striking; the colors are so vivid, and the postures are so theatrical. Editor: Indeed. Let's consider "Illustration for Tales From Shakespeare" by Artuš Scheiner, created in 1923. It appears to be mixed media, a watercolor illustration actually. The context, illustrating Shakespeare, is paramount to understanding the imagery at play here. What do you make of the symbolism? Curator: The forest setting, dense and enclosing, speaks to the characters' internal states, I think. The clutching, reaching figures... that resonates so much with the psychological dramas inherent in Shakespeare. What's interesting, in contrast, is that the historical styles the subjects sport denote social strata and performance as much as realism, it evokes an older romantic era but, still has these odd colors, and shapes which make you consider what else could be going on. Editor: And note how that theatricality you mentioned plays out; a deliberate performance for each other, as much as for us, perhaps shaped by the expectations surrounding depictions of Shakespeare at this point. In terms of politics of imagery, the illustration itself, published as a Tale From Shakespeare has a real historical value that also demonstrates it wasn't the primary aim of the piece to provide commentary on political agendas. What about narrative? Do you notice any key narrative details? Curator: Absolutely! The dramatic gesture, the averted gazes, the enclosed forest… All these suggest betrayal and thwarted desire, core to the dramatic essence of Shakespeare's narratives, which is heightened by that element of performance we mentioned previously. Do the outfits also tell their story here, how do the costumes influence your ideas about narrative? Editor: Definitely! Each element contributes to understanding the depicted stories but this wasn't produced in a vacuum. Artuš Scheiner was producing for an audience accustomed to lavish stage productions and interpretations of classical tales in that theatrical mode. Curator: Ultimately, it’s a testament to how symbols persist in our consciousness and are remoulded, in turn. It's just really interesting to consider these characters through a 1920s lens while they playact familiar motifs of romantic love. Editor: Indeed; Scheiner's work allows us to reflect not just on Shakespeare but also on how societal frameworks of representation continue to evolve, which, when looking through his symbolic decisions becomes more evident.