Accession Number2009/1.509
TitleStudy for the Play Scene from Hamlet
Artist(s)Sir William OrpenArtist NationalityBritish (modern)Object Creation Date1898-1899Medium & Supportgraphite and ink wash on paper, mounted on boardDimensions 18 7/8 in x 12 1/2 in (47.94 cm x 31.75 cm);5 1/4 in x 6 7/8 in (13.34 cm x 17.46 cm);18 7/8 in x 12 1/2 in (47.94 cm x 31.75 cm)
Credit LineJoseph F. McCrindle CollectionSubject matterThis drawing is a preparatory study for Orpen's painting "The Play Scene From Hamlet," which depicts the scene from Shakespeare's play in which King Claudius watches a theatrical performance about the murder of a king (Act 3, scene 2). The finished painting, now in Houghton Hall, Norfolk, won the 1899 prize for best composition in the annual competition at the Slade School of Art in London where Orpen was a student. In the drawing Orpen experiments with the massing of figures and dramatic distribution of light for what would become the lower right corner of the final work.
Physical DescriptionThis drawing depicts two groups of figures. A darker, more heavily shadowed group that includes a prominent standing figure appears in the lower right corner. A second group of seated figures, more lightly drawn, appear in the upper left.
Primary Object Classification Drawing Primary Object Typepreparatory drawingAdditional Object Classification(s)Unbound WorkCollection AreaWesternRightsIf you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit
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Keywords
plays (performed works)
preparatory drawings
theaters (buildings)