Gillray, James. Shakespeare sacrificed, or, the offering to avarice

British Museum. Dept. of Prints and Drawings. Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum (1870-1954) (George): 7584
Folger bibliographic ID: 256275
Folger call number: ART File S527.6 no.3a copy 2
Folger holdings ID: 339043
Accession Number: cs301

Caricature of John Boydell, the man behind the Boydell Shakespeare Gallery. Boydell stands within a magic circle, directing a sacrifice of Shakespeare's plays; these are burning at his feet; the dense smoke which rises from the fire obscures a monument to Shakespeare, concealing the head and shoulders of a figure of Shakespeare. To the viewer's right of the fire, a huge volume inscribed 'List of Subscribers to the Sacrifice' stands on end with an aged gnome-like creature with a large head, symbolizing Avarice, sitting on top. The rising smoke supports various characters from Shakespeare, more or less travestied from the pictures commissioned by Boydell for his Shakespeare Gallery

General notes

An earlier state lists the pseudonymous statement of responsibility "Andrew Ferrara" and publisher J. Aitken (see Folger ART File S527.6 no.3b)

Exhibited

Washington, D.C., Folger Shakespeare Library, 2007. Marketing Shakespeare (Copy 1)

Extended title: Shakespeare sacrificed, or, the offering to avarice James Gillray design et fecit
Alternate titles: Offering to avarice

Boydell, John, 1720-1804 Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616

printmaker: Gillray, James, 1756-1815
depiction: Boydell, John, 1720-1804
depiction: Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616
artist: Gillray, James, 1756-1815
printer: Gillray, James, 1756-1815
publisher: Humphrey, Hannah, active 1774-1817