Figure scene. Hamlet 1984

Edwin Austin Abbey, an American artist who spent much of his career in England, made this watercolor titled "Figure scene. Hamlet." In his illustrations of Shakespearean plays, Abbey aimed to capture the psychological drama and emotional intensity of the characters. Think of the weight of familial expectations and the undertones of madness within this scene. Here, the characters are caught between the visible and the invisible: the natural and the supernatural. What does it mean to present such a famous play in an ethereal manner? As we look, we might think about Ophelia's madness. Here, she seems ghostly, almost spectral as she is presented as a victim of the patriarchal structures of the court. There is an unsettling ambiguity, as we consider the emotional and existential struggles of individuals caught in the web of power, betrayal, and revenge.