King Richard the Third Act IV Scene III (1790), painted by James Northcote and engraved by Francis Legat.
Francis Legat’s “King Richard the Third Act IV Scene III” is an eighteenth century line and stipple engraving with hand coloring, done after the painting by James Northcote (currently in the Tate Gallery). It depicts a moment from Shakespeare’s play, King Richard the Third in which two young boys sleep peacefully as two villains prepare to kidnap them. The theme of performance of life is emphasized in this painting through the obvious allusion to Shakespeare’s world renowned play. The painting captures the last peaceful moments before the young boys’ lives are irrevocably changed which highlights the delicacy of life through the form of visual art. Legat’s engraving focuses upon the delicacy of humanity in this particular moment of the performance of Shakespeare’s play. The University of Rochester’s Rossell Hope Robbins Library Koller-Collins Collection maintains an original print of this absolutely beautiful engraving.