Scene from Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew" (Katharina and Petruchio) Washington Allston 1809

Scene from Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew" (Katharina and Petruchio)
Washington Allston 1809
From the collection of
Philadelphia Museum of Art
The figures in this meticulously executed scene respond with a variety of emotions to a plan by Petruchio to subdue his argumentative new wife. Proclaiming that her new dress is not good enough, he threatens the tailor. Katharina's atypical composure suggests Petruchio's success in "taming" her temper. Best known for biblical history pictures, romantic portraits, and landscapes, Allston was also a poet and novelist. His interest in Shakespeare undoubtedly was stimulated by his close friendship with Shakespearean scholar Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Not long before this picture was painted, the two men had toured Italy, where Allston learned to emulate the lustrous glazes and jewel-like colors of Venetian painting.
Details
Title: Scene from Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew" (Katharina and Petruchio)
Date Created: 1809
Location Created: United States
Physical Dimensions: 27 3/4 x 30 7/8 inches (70.5 x 78.4 cm)
Artist/Maker: Washington Allston, American, 1779 - 1843
Type: Paintings
Rights: Purchased with the Edith H. Bell Fund and the J. Stogdell Stokes Fund, 1987, © 2011 Philadelphia Museum of Art. All rights reserved.
External Link: Philadelphia Museum of Art http://www.philamuseum.org/collections/permanent/83666.html
Medium: Oil on canvas

Philadelphia Museum of Art
Philadelphia, United States

The Philadelphia Museum of Art is Philadelphia’s art museum. We are a landmark building. A world-renowned collection. A place that welcomes everyone. We bring the arts to life, inspiring visitors—through scholarly study and creative play—to discover the spirit of imagination that lies in everyone. We connect people with the arts in rich and varied ways, making the experience of the Museum surprising, lively, and always memorable. We are committed to inviting visitors to see the world—and themselves—anew through the beauty and expressive power of the arts.

Washington Allston
Nov 5, 1779 - Jul 9, 1843

Washington Allston was an American painter and poet, born in Waccamaw Parish, South Carolina. Allston pioneered America's Romantic movement of landscape painting. He was well known during his lifetime for his experiments with dramatic subject matter and his bold use of light and atmospheric color.
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