The copper printing plate that martin droeshout engraved was touched up twice during the printing of the first folio in 1623 and once more for the fourth folio 62 years later. First folio of shakespeare the norton facsimile by. The book the first folio presents us with a person, a personality, through his work. We need not repine at the lack of a satisfactory shakespeare portrait. This is erin blake, curator of art, here to talk about the different states of the droeshout portrait of shakespeare.
Our series of events marking the quatercentenary of shakespeares death culminates in a public lecture on shakespeares first folio by a leading world expert, professor emma smith hertford college, oxford, author of shakespeares first folio. The folio is so famous that one copy is getting its own 2016 tour, and the portrait of shakespeare that graces its front page is one of the most famous representations of the man himself. The portrait of shakespeare on the title page of the first folio was engraved by martin droeshout but probably commissioned by william jaggard, one of the. It begins with the story of its first purchaser in london in december 1623, and goes on to explore the ways people have interacted with this iconic book over the four hundred years of its history. A genuine portrait of shakespeare inlaid in a facsimile of the title page. The portraits of shakespeare are constantly under discussion. Shakespeares first folio to be sold at auction in new. According to a census of surviving first folios, glasgows copy is class ii b, being in fair condition, but. It contains the same plays as the first folio, but was also the first attempt at a systematic edit of shakespeares plays. A rare shakespeare first folio found on the isle of bute in scotland, hidden for more than 100 years in the library at mount stuart. Shakespeare was not the first author to have his collected works published in folio format. Shakespeares first folio is a modern term applied by scholars to one of the worlds most famous books, mr. Published in folio form seven years after the playwrights death by isaac iaggard and edward blount, and overseen by shakespeare.
According to the german academic, one portrait, possibly painted around 1594, when the poet was about 30 years old, depicts shakespeare as a young london playwright and author of sonnets who has. See peter blayneys the first folio of shakespeare folger 1991 and linked below for an overview of this, charlton hinmans the printing and proofreading of the first folio of shakespeare clarendon p, 1963 for a detailed explanation of such changes, and eric rasmussen and anthony james wests the shakespeare first folios. The droeshout portrait on the title page in foliomania. The book now known as the first folio the first authoritative edition of shakespeares plays established shakespeare for all time and it. The first folio is the first collected edition of william shakespeares plays, collated and. The july book of the month is glasgow universitys copy of the first folio edition of the collected plays of william shakespeare, published in 1623 some seven years after shakespeares death. The present copy of the second folio also contains the iconic portrait of shakespeare by droeshout estimate. Published in folio form seven years after the playwrights death by isaac iaggard and edward blount, and overseen by. The first folio was a commercial success and was followed only nine years later by the second folio, published in 1632 and providing a pagebypage reprint of the first. Without the first folio, 18 plays might have been lost forever. By the time shakespeare died, he had written at least 38 plays and more than 150 poems.
Printed in folio format and containing 36 plays see list of shakespeare s plays, it was prepared by shakespeare s colleagues john heminges. About half of shakespeares plays had never previously appeared in print, including as you like it, julius caesar, macbeth, the tempest, and many more. Folger shakespeare library rouben mamoulian collection library of congress original title page selected, with portrait, reads. Shakespeare portraita look at all four states of the martin. On those occasions when the shakespeare first folio, the 1623 first printing in folio format of the collected works of william shakespeare, is placed on display, it is generally shown in splendid isolation as one of the great treasures of the library. Shakespeare first folio discovered on scottish island. The book marked the first time that macbeth had been printed. This wellknown portrait is the iconic image of shakespeare that appears on the title page of the first folio. Shakespeares portrait from the fourth folio, including. When it was published in 1968, the norton facsimile set a new standard for scholarly accuracy. Instead, the first half of this book is an easytoread history about the publishing of different editions of shakespeare s plays from 1623 to the late 18th century. The publication of drama in the early 17th century was usually. It is the major source for contemporary texts of his plays. William shakespeares first folio found in france in a.
Shakespeare s friends and fellow actors john heminge and henry condell assembled the 36 plays. Weve assembled a playlist of seven shakespeare unlimited podcast episodes about the first folio without this first collected edition of shakespeares works, published in 1623, we might not have such famous plays as macbeth or the tempest. Perhaps the most famous evidence of the bards accomplishments is the 1623 first folio, the book that collected his plays in book form for the first. His prodigious output included poems, sonnets, history plays, tragedies and comedies. First folio publication of shakespeares plays britannica. Apr 25, 2016 shakespeares portrait from the fourth folio, including ben jonsons poem to the reader 1685. The image from the title page of the first folio is called the droeshout portrait because it was made by martin droeshout. Without the expensive and determined effort between 1621 and 1623 to print a folio edition of. The story of the first folio, she says, usually focuses on the literary genius of shakespeare, but the survival of his plays depended on the practical skills of the people who produced this book. Facsimile first folio shakespeare bauman rare books. Published in 1623, the first folio not only the first collection of shakespeares plays but also the first folio book in england devoted exclusively to drama contains 36 works considered to be wholly or in part by the bard.
Looking at the first folio of william shakespeare in the facsimile edition published by norton. Droeshouts engraving of shakespeare on the title page of the first folio. First folio, first published edition 1623 of the collected works of william. Four centuries of an iconic book 2016 and the making of shakespeares first folio 2015. The july book of the month is glasgow universitys copy of the first folio. Without it, plays like macbeth and twelfth night might not have survived. The droeshout portrait or droeshout engraving is a portrait of william shakespeare engraved by martin droeshout as the frontispiece for the title page of the first folio collection of shakespeare s plays, published in 1623. The book that gave us shakespeare is offered by the american library association ala public programs office, in collaboration with the folger shakespeare library and cincinnati museum center cmc. Learn more about this remarkable bookand the folgers collection of first folios, the largest in the world. The portrait itself, with shakespeares by 1623 unfashionable elizabethan ruff, pudding face, and lopsided hair, has not.
Its preliminary including the titlepage with the famous droeshout portrait of shakespeare. The first folio is 36 of william shakespeares plays, collected and printed seven years after the bards death. The poet, actor and playwright william shakespeare is one of the worlds most celebrated cultural figures, and it is perhaps appropriate that this painting was the first to be presented to the newly founded national portrait gallery in 1856. The artist behind shakespeares most famous portrait. English drama english poets renaissance theater shakespeare portrait first folio title page playwright book publishing play houses sir william davenant, operator of the first playhouse opened after the restoration, was also a playwright and an epic poet. The first folio grouped shakespeares playsfor the first timeinto comedies, histories and tragedies and featured a portrait of shakespeare thats now accepted as an authentic image of him. The droeshout portrait or droeshout engraving is a portrait of william shakespeare engraved by martin droeshout as the frontispiece for the title page of the first folio collection of shakespeares plays, published in 1623. Columbias copy, a part of the 1881 bequest of stephen whitney phoenix, is no exception, although over the decades it has been shown to a. The tour is made possible in part by a major grant from the national endowment for the humanities. About half of shakespeare s plays had never previously appeared in print, including as you like it, julius caesar, macbeth, the tempest, and many more. First folio, first published edition 1623 of the collected works of william shakespeare, originally published as mr.
Title page of the first folio, by william shakespeare, with copper. Eighteen of shakespeares plays were printed in quartos books about half the size of a. Shakespeare wrote around 37 plays, 36 of which are contained in the first folio. The portrait of shakespeare on the title page was engraved by martin. One of the essential books of english literature and culture, the justly famous first folio of shakespeares plays, a fullsize photographic facsimile that has won the admiration of actors and scholars throughout the world. Widely known as the first folio, it is one of only six. Shakespeares first four folios sell at auction for almost. The first folio is the first printed collection of all of shakespeares plays, assembled by two of his buddies after he died. The first folio is the first collected edition of william shakespeare s plays, collated and published in 1623, seven years after his death. Without the first folio, 18 of shakespeares plays may have been lost. The first folio of shakespeare by william shakespeare. Book, shakespeares first folio, letterpress, ink on paper, printed by isaac jaggard and edward blount, london, 1623. It is, therefore, no mere poetic hyperbole that the upcoming 2016 national tour of the first folio is called first folio. Ingenuity didnt have limits when it came to fixing a first folio.
To commemorate the 400th anniversary of shakespeares death in 2016, the. The first folio is the first printed collection of shakespeare s plays, published in 1623, seven years after his death. Shakespeares friends approved it, so it must have looked like him. The artist behind shakespeares most famous portrait jstor daily. The first folio also holds the droeshout portrait, one of only two portraits unambiguously identified as shakespeare. List of most expensive books and manuscripts droeshout portrait. The portrait of shakespeare on the title page of the first folio was engraved by martin droeshout but probably commissioned by william jaggard, one of the books publishers and the owner of the shop where it was printed. Perhaps the most famous evidence of the bards accomplishments is the 1623 first folio, the book that collected his plays in book form for the first time. This text is facing droeshouts portrait of shakespeare prefixed to the first folio. Photo facsimile pages produced from the first folios in the folger shakespeare library in washington d. Shakespeare s first folio is a modern term applied by scholars to one of the worlds most famous books, mr.
The first folio of shakespeare, published in 1623, is an extraordinary book. Nine years after the first folio, the second folio was printed, which reflected the continuing interest in the playwrights work. Folio editions were large and expensive books that were seen as prestige items. The book was published in 1623, seven years after shakespeares death, and contains a dozen. Glasgow university library special collections shakespeare first folio. The two images which have always informed our image of shakespeare were created after his death. Hence, folio number 33 has a genuine portrait of shakespeare inlaid into a facsimile title leaf. It is one of only two works of art definitively identifiable as a depiction of the poet. Scarce first facsimile edition of the landmark first folio, in contemporary full calf.