King Lear in the Storm

Henry Brintnell Bounetheau, Sir Joshua Reynolds, King Lear in the Storm, ca. 1842, watercolor on ivory, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Henry Du Pré Bounetheau, 1946.3.14
Copied Henry Brintnell Bounetheau, Sir Joshua Reynolds, King Lear in the Storm, ca. 1842, watercolor on ivory, sight 6 3⁄8 x 5 1⁄2 in. (16.2 x 14.0 cm) rectangle, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Henry Du Pré Bounetheau, 1946.3.14
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
King Lear in the Storm
Artists
Date
ca. 1842
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
sight 6 3⁄8 x 5 1⁄2 in. (16.2 x 14.0 cm) rectangle
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Henry Du Pré Bounetheau
Mediums
Mediums Description
watercolor on ivory
Classifications
Subjects
  • Figure male — bust
  • Landscape — weather — storm
  • Literature — Shakespeare — King Lear
Object Number
1946.3.14
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1946.3.14

Artwork Description

Henry Brintnell Bounetheau copied a painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds, president of the Royal Academy in England, to make this miniature. Such copies were common practice among miniaturists and full-scale painters alike. In Shakespeare’s King Lear the storm signifies the onset of the king’s madness, after he discovers the betrayal of his two elder daughters. Conservation of this miniature was made possible through a generous grant provided by the Smithsonian Women’s Committee.