Hamlet and Horatio at the Cemetery, Eugène Delacroix
Eugène Delacroix
Hamlet and Horatio at the Cemetery
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Eugène Delacroix

Hamlet and Horatio at the Cemetery, 1835


Dimensions
99.0 x 80.5 cm
Physical Description
Oil on canvas
Inventory Number
2155
Acquisition
Acquired in 1987, property of Städelscher Museums-Verein e.V.
Status
On display, 1st upper level, Modern Art, room 5

Texts

About the Work

Reflecting on death and transience, Prince Hamlet and his friend Horatio are alone in the cemetery. They only learn of who the grave belongs to when the funeral procession for Ophelia, Hamlet’s lover, appears. Horatio stands firm and exalted. The prince, holding the court jester Yorick’s skull, seems to almost slide off the sloping slab into the grave – an indication of his imminent death. In the painting, which was rejected by the Paris Salon jury, the French artist shows Shakespeare’s protagonist as a typically romantic hero: sensitive and melancholy, isolated and introverted.

Work Data

Basic Information

Title
Hamlet and Horatio at the Cemetery
Painter
Period Produced
School
Object Type
Physical Description
Oil on canvas
Material
Technique
Label at the Time of Manufacture
Signiert und datiert unten links: Eug. Delacroix 1835.

Property and Acquisition

Institution
Departement
Collection
Creditline
Städel Museum, Frankfurt am Main, Eigentum des Städelschen Museums-Vereins e.V.
Picture Copyright
Public Domain
Acquisition
Acquired in 1987, property of Städelscher Museums-Verein e.V.

Work Content

Motifs and References

Genre
Main Motif
Persons Shown
Associated Persons and Institutions
Illustrated Passage
  • William Shakespeare: Hamlet, 5. Akt, Szene 1

Iconclass

Primary
Secondary
  • 31A211 (human) skull
  • 42E311 gravestone, tombstone
  • 23R131 evening ~ landscape (sometimes titled 'Vesper')

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Last update

13.03.2024