Robert Thew & Robert Smirke

Shakspeare. First Part of King Henry the Fourth. Act II, Scene IV. The Boar's Head Tavern. Prince Henry, Falstaff, Poins, etc Published June 4, 1796, by John & Josiah Boydell, at the Shakspeare Gallery, Pall Mall, & No. 90. Cheapside, London. Engraved by R. Thew, Engraver to H.R.H. the Prince of Wales. Painted by R. Smirke R. A.

Prince Henry: Do thou stand for my father, and examine me upon the
particulars of my life.

Falstaff: Shall I? content: - This chair shall be my state,
this dagger my sceptre, and this cushion my crown.

Prince Henry: Thy state is taken for a joint-stool, thy golden
sceptre for a leaden dagger, and thy precious rich
crown for a pitiful bald crown!

Falstaff: Well, an the fire of grace be not quite out of thee,
now shalt thou be moved. - Give me a cup of sack*, to
make mine eyes look red, that it may be thought I have
wept; for I must speak in passion, and I will do it
in king Cambyses’ vein.

This original Robert Thew engraving was created after a painting created by Robert Smirke as commissioned by Boydell for the Shakespeare Gallery to represent, Act Two, Scene Four from a play written by William Shakespeare, entitled, First Part of King Henry the Fourth. The Boar's Head Tavern. Prince Henry, Falstaff, Poins, etc. Here we see Sir John Falstaff, a fat old scoundrel sitting at a table with on leg upon a stool, holding a dagger with his right hand, and his cap with the other. While drinking Sack, Falstaff brags about his bravery during the last battle. Peto, Gadshill and Bardolph, Poins, and the Prince of Wales listen in disbelief. Having gone too far with his boasting, Prince Henry, in anger refutes Falstaff's lies. (A portion of the conversation can be read above.). Just then the Sheriff appears to question Falstaff and his companions about a robbery. The Boar's Head Tavern in Eastcheap is one of Falstaff's favourite hunting grounds. It is run by Mistress Quickly, with the help of Vintner, the barman, Francis, servants and others. In this scene Shakespeare includes the characters of Sir John Falstaff (the cowardly, old rogue who has little regard for the property of others), Prince Henry (King Henry's oldest son), Edward Poins (Prince Henry's constant companion and accomplice in debauchery), the three thieves who are Falstaff's partners in crime, Peto, Gadshill and Bardolph; and the Sheriff who is looking for Falstaff concerning a robbery.. * 'Sack' was a term used for any dry red wine, such as sherry sack or Madeira sack.

This original engraving is a 'First Edition Impression'. 4. 'First Edition Impressions'. The completed set of Boydell's Shakespeare engravings was published in London in 1803. The full publisher's address appears along the lower margin as well as the text for the play. The heading,'Shakspeare', is now filled in with stippling. The full text beneath the image of this impression reads;

"Shakspeare. First Part of King Henry the Fourth. Act II, Scene IV. The Boar's Head Tavern. Prince Henry, Falstaff, Poins, etc. Published June 4, 1796, by John & Josiah Boydell, at the Shakspeare Gallery, Pall Mall, & No. 90. Cheapside, London. Engraved by R. Thew, Engraver to H.R.H. the Prince of Wales. Painted by R. Smirke R. A.

Fal: Shalt I? content:_____This chair shall be my state,
this dagger my sceptre, and this cushion my crown."

An Important Note on Boydell States and Editions: Proof impressions and true first edition impressions are easily identified by their fine lines and strong contrasts of black and white tones. Later more common editions print in a more overall grey tone and contain areas of re-working. Briefly, the publishing history of these great engravings can be categorized into five states or editions:

1. 'Artist's Proofs'. These are the earliest of states and were printed in only a handful of impressions. They are identified not only by their vibrant lines and tones but by the fact that they lack any letters along the lower margin.
2. 'Proofs Before Title'. These impressions usually contain the names of the artist, publisher and engraver along the lower margin. They lack the title of the specific play depicted and usually the heading -- 'Shakspeare' -- is smaller than in the published edition. Once again, this state was printed in a very small numbers.
3. 'Open Letter Proofs'. These impressions bear the title of the play. the heading, 'Shakspeare' (Shakespeare), is yet to be filled in with stippling. These impressions were printed before the publication of the first edition and were probably struck from the plate at a customer's request. Perhaps ten to twenty Open Letter Proofs exist for each engraving.
4. 'First Edition Impressions'. The completed set of Boydell's Shakespeare engravings was published in London in 1803. The full publisher's address appears along the lower margin as well as the text for the play. The heading, 'Shakspeare', is now filled in with stippling. Both first edition impressions and proofs were most often printed on either hand-made, laid paper or wove paper bearing the 'J. Whatman' watermark.
5. 'Posthumous Impressions and Restrikes' As early as 1807, John Stockdale of London issued a second edition of the Shakespeare prints. They continued to be published throughout the first half of the nineteenth century. Finally, in 1852, an enterprising dentist in New York City (with the delightful name of Shearjashub Spooner) acquired the plates, restored them and produced the last edition. These prints are most commonly offered for sale.

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