"Away!": plate 7 from Othello (Act 3, Scene 4) 1844 - 1900

Théodore Chassériau’s print captures a fraught moment from Shakespeare’s Othello. Note Othello’s dramatic gesture. With one hand, he pushes back a curtain, signaling revelation and exposure. The other hand wards off Desdemona, who kneels, imploring and reaching for him. This motif of rejection echoes through art history. Think of the many depictions of the “Noli me tangere,” where Christ rejects Mary Magdalene’s touch after the resurrection. Desdemona’s kneeling posture is found across time in images of supplication, from medieval devotional art to later Romantic paintings. This posture embodies vulnerability and a plea for mercy. The raw emotion here engages our subconscious. The tragic consequences of Othello’s rejection and Desdemona’s desperation are felt through the ages. The gesture is constantly repeated. Like an allegorical echo, it resurfaces and evolves, taking on new layers of meaning with each retelling, each rendering.