David Garrick as King Lear (Shakespeare, King Lear, Act 3, Scene 1) 1761

Curator: Here we have James McArdell's 1761 engraving, "David Garrick as King Lear," capturing a pivotal moment from Shakespeare’s King Lear. Editor: What a wonderfully dramatic, almost operatic feel. That lone bolt of lightning...it’s not just a storm; it feels like the fury of the gods made visible, targeting poor Lear. Curator: Precisely! This print freezes the agony of Lear as he confronts the raging tempest. McArdell based this on a painting by Benjamin Wilson of David Garrick in performance, so the theatrics are very intentional. We need to remember that Garrick dominated the London stage. His performance of Lear was incredibly popular! Editor: The way the artist has used shadow - charcoal even? - really amplifies the despair, doesn't it? It’s interesting that, rather than softening or romanticizing the harsh scene, they commit to its brutal rawness. Even the sympathetic companion at Lear's side can't seem to placate his grief. Curator: The political element here is undeniable, with how the King, often interpreted as a symbol of leadership and the aristocracy, appears to have lost control, powerless. Think about the period; Enlightenment ideals questioned inherited authority. Editor: Oh, for sure. There’s a visual rhetoric at play about the instability of power when divorced from reason and responsibility. I wonder what someone witnessing this play back in the 18th century thought. I love to put myself in their mindset... Did it bring any kind of satisfaction to people who feel powerless? Did they have any kind of schadenfreude watching such a powerful man crumble? Curator: These are things we have to consider as we interpret this work. What this play reflected to society and also how it has impacted contemporary understandings of this era, and monarchy. Editor: Definitely a thought-provoking work that allows us to see reflections of ourselves and the broader concerns within social structures. Curator: Thank you for giving such insight!