Artwork
Mr Parsons as Dumps in the Natural Son
Mr Parsons as Dumps in the Natural Son is a print by the Romanticist artist L. Thornthwaite. It dates from 12 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. This print depicts William Parsons in a role from a Shakespeare play, created using ink on a single sheet of paper.
About this work
This print shows William Parsons playing Justice Shallow in a famous Shakespeare scene. It’s a single sheet, ink on paper, from 1792.
Romanticism loved stage characters and dramatic personalities, so portraits like this were popular. John Bell published it in London, just seven years after the first print run.
Look up the Victoria and Albert Museum to see more prints from this era.
Overview
This print depicts William Parsons in a role from a Shakespeare play, created using ink on a single sheet of paper.
Subject & Meaning
The print shows Parsons as Dumps in The Natural Son, a character representation that reflects the 18th-century interest in stage personalities and dramatic figures.
Technique & Style
The work is a print, a common medium for disseminating images of popular stage characters during this period.
History & Provenance
Published by John Bell in London, the print is associated with the Harry Beard Collection and relates to theatrical performances and print culture of late 18th-century England.
Artist & collection
Artist
L. Thornthwaite made prints in the late 1700s, turning stage actors into characters you’d meet in comedies or farces. Look for the 1792 print “Mr Parsons as Dumps in the Natural Son,” where an actor poses in costume for…
