“Ha! I Like Not That”

Copied John Rogers, "Ha! I Like Not That", patented 1882, painted plaster, 22 x 20 3⁄4 x 14 3⁄8 in. (55.8 x 52.6 x 36.5 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of John Rogers and Son, 1882.1.4
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
“Ha! I Like Not That”
Artist
Date
patented 1882
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
22 x 20 3⁄4 x 14 3⁄8 in. (55.8 x 52.6 x 36.5 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of John Rogers and Son
Mediums
Mediums Description
painted plaster
Classifications
Keywords
  • Figure group
  • Performing arts — theater
  • Literature — Shakespeare — Othello
Object Number
1882.1.4
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1882.1.4

Artwork Description

For this statuette illustrating a scene from Shakespeare's Othello, John Rogers conveys the play's setting--Renaissance Venice--through swords, ceramics, feathers, brocades, leather, and lace. These bring to life a pivotal scene in which the vile Iago, on the far left, plants the seeds of murderous jealousy in Othello, whose wife, Desdemona, appears to receive inappropriate attentions from a rival. A luxurious collar accentuates Desdemona's beauty, while a dagger hints at Iago's treachery. Through such historical detail, this parlor statue fueled Americans' popular conception of Venice as a place of adventure, romance, and above all, sensual excess.

Sargent, Whistler, and Venetian Glass: American Artists and the Magic of Murano, 2021.


Luce Center Label
"Ha! I Like Not That" refers to a scene from Shakespeare's Othello. Othello and Iago have arrived to greet Othello's wife, Desdemona, who is speaking with Cassio. Upon seeing Cassio, the traitorous Iago mutters, "Ha! I like not that," and hints to Othello that Desdemona and Cassio may be having an affair. In this piece the actor Edwin Booth posed for Iago, and Tommaso Salvini may have posed for Othello.