Jul 25, 2008

Shakespeare's Work | The Visual Arts in Shakespeare's Works

Of the dozens of references to the visual arts in Shakespeare's work, most are made in passing, and some are barely perceptible in the texture of the language, so that only an editor's annotation or a critic's commentary enables the reference to be appreciated. In a few, notable exceptions—the statue of Hermione in The Winter's Tale is a prime example—a work of visual art is specifically brought into focus, but these seem exceptions to a rule, which is that Shakespeare's usual tendency is to use references to the visual arts as an economical means of drawing commonplace...