These images are provided for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons License (BY-NC-ND). To license a high resolution version, please contact our image library who will discuss fees, terms and waivers.
Download this imageCreative commons explained - what it means, how you can use our's and other people's content.
Portrait Medallion of William Shakespeare (1564-1616)
Factory:
Wedgwood & Bentley
Modeler:
Hackwood, William
Black basalt. Oval with raised moulded edge, and bust portrait of William Shakespeare in profile to left, the name 'SHAKESPEARE' impressed into the ground below the truncation. On the reverse is a vertical, approximately oval depression behind the bust, and at the top, a curved slot.
History note: Unknown before testator
A. V. Valentine-Richards Bequest
Height: 11.6 cm
Width: 9.4 cm
Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1933) by Valentine-Richards, A. V., The Rev
18th Century, Late
George III
Circa
1777
-
1780
The medallion was mentioned with one of Garrick in two letters from Josiah Wedgwood to Thomas Bentley on 26 November 1777 (Wedgwood MS E.25-18797) and on 22 December 1777 (E.25-18805). It was modelled by William Hackwood after a print. A Shakespeare produced in black basalt or blue and white jasper, with or without a frame of the same material, is mentioned in A Catalogue of Cameos, Intaglios, Medals, Busts, Small Statues, and Bas-Reliefs . . . . made by Wedgwood and Bentley . . ., 5th edn, London, 1779, p. 44, under Class X, Section I, English Poets, '6 Shakespeare, several Models'.
Accession number: C.117-1933
Primary reference Number: 11178
Stable URI
Owner or interested party:
The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department:
Applied Arts
This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:
The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Portrait Medallion of William Shakespeare (1564-1616)" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/11178 Accessed: 2024-11-22 01:34:16
To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:
{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/11178
|title=Portrait Medallion of William Shakespeare (1564-1616)
|author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-11-22 01:34:16|publisher=The
University of Cambridge}}
To call these data via our API (remember this needs to be authenticated) you can use this code snippet:
https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/api/v1/objects/object-11178
To use this as a simple code embed, copy this string:
<div class="text-center">
<figure class="figure">
<img src="https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/aa/aa32/C_117_1933_201505_jas244_dc2.jpg"
alt="Portrait Medallion of William Shakespeare (1564-1616)"
class="img-fluid" />
<figcaption class="figure-caption text-info">Portrait Medallion of William Shakespeare (1564-1616)</figcaption>
</figure>
</div>
Updates about future exhibitions and displays, family activities, virtual events & news. You'll be the first to know...
