COVE

This is an oil painting done in the early 19th Century by George Clint. It depicts Edmund Kean as King Richard III ordering the Duke of Buckingham as a part of a production of Shakespeare's Richard III. This portrait displays important characteristics that set Kean Apart in this time, like his greasy black hair, sharp features, and grumpy disposition, making him the perfect shakespearian villain. Before Kean, even the villains in stage productions of Shakespeare's works tended to be tall and gorgeous, but Kean revolutionized the way that villains were protrayed on stage. The dark, rich colors of this painting, along with the ornate and fabulous costumes, shows just how lavish and integral to society theater, and Shakespeare, were at this time.