Mr. Henry Irving as Shylock before 1893

Editor: This is "Mr. Henry Irving as Shylock," a print made before 1893 by Lock & Whitfield. I’m struck by how theatrical it feels, almost staged, and a bit foreboding. What do you see in this piece that I might be missing? Curator: Well, it *is* staged, isn't it? Irving was *the* Shylock of his day, and this image immortalizes his interpretation. To me, it’s less about Shylock the character and more about Irving's performance, the Victorian fascination with theater, celebrity and representing marginalized people. Do you get a sense of that, the layers of representation here? Editor: I do, now that you point it out. It's like looking at a photograph of someone acting rather than the actual subject. Is there something in the costume, pose, or gaze that indicates something particular of the Victorian Era? Curator: Precisely. Think of the heightened drama, the emphasis on emotion, even in photographic prints like this one. It speaks to a very particular cultural appetite for theatricality. Irving, by the way, put years of research into Shylock; his costumes and mannerisms would’ve been extensively analyzed at the time. How do you feel knowing all of this changes the piece for you? Editor: Definitely, I think knowing that Mr. Irving did his homework is impactful because he made conscious decisions about the character, bringing Shylock into reality. Thank you for shedding light on how it felt to observe in Victorian times. Curator: My pleasure, the more you think of those layers, the richer the experience becomes.