Hamlet and Horatio Before the Gravediggers (Hamlet et Horatio Devant les Fossoyeurs), from the Hamlet series
Eugène Delacroix
French, 1798–1863

Details
Title
Hamlet and Horatio Before the Gravediggers (Hamlet et Horatio Devant les Fossoyeurs), from the Hamlet series
Artist/Maker
Eugène Delacroix (French, 1798–1863)
Date
1843, printed 1843–1864
Medium
Black and white lithograph on wove paper
Dimensions
11 1/8 × 8 3/8 inches
Credit
Purchase in honor of Mrs. Robert Wells, President 1972-1973 of the Members Guild
Accession #
73.48
On View
Currently not on view
Two laborers preparing Ophelia’s grave provide comic relief when they unearth and banter about the skull of Yorick, a court jester Hamlet had known as a child. Touched by memories, Hamlet sighs and says, “Alas, poor Yorick!” Delacroix first developed this composition in 1839 for an oil painting. He adopted it for the lithograph with minor adjustments, such as a more dynamic stance and greater prominence for Hamlet’s figure.
More from this Artist

Hamlet and the Corpse of Polonius (Hamlet et le Cadavre de Polonius), from the Hamlet series
Eugène Delacroix

Hamlet Makes Comedians Play the Scene of His Father’s Poisoning (Hamlet Fait Jouer aux Comediens la Scene de l’Empoisionnement de son Pere), from the Hamlet series
Eugène Delacroix
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