The artwork, “Prospero and Miranda from ‘The Tempest’ of William Shakespeare,” was created by William Hogarth around 1728. This oil on canvas painting, measuring 80 x 101.5 cm, belongs to the Rococo art movement and serves as an illustration genre piece. Currently housed in a private collection, this artwork captures a scene from William Shakespeare’s play, “The Tempest.”
The artwork meticulously portrays a dramatic narrative moment featuring the magician Prospero and his daughter Miranda. Prospero, depicted as an elderly man in scholarly robes, looks intently at Miranda who sits gracefully in the center, adorned in flowing garments with a serene and pensive expression. A young lamb, symbolizing innocence, rests at her side. To their right stands Caliban, characterized by his brutish and rugged appearance, carrying a bundle of firewood. Behind them, emerging from the shadows, is an ethereal figure playing a lute, adding a celestial presence to the composition. The background reveals a rocky coastal landscape, with an open book and illustrative objects on the ground symbolizing knowledge and magic, all contributing to the rich, narrative quality of the artwork.
