Thomas Ryder & Thomas Stothard

Shakspeare. Othello, Act II, Scene I, A Platform. Desdemona, Othello, Iago, Cassio, Rodrigo, Emilia, etc. Pub'd. Septr. 29, 1799, by J & J. Boydell, at the Shakspeare Gallery, Pall Mall; & No. 90, Cheapside, London. Engraved by Thos. Ryder. Painted by Thos. Stothard R. A.

"Desdemona. My dear Othello!

Othello. It gives me wonder great as my content,
To see you here before me. O my soul's joy!
If after every tempest come such calms,
May the winds blow till they have waken'd death!
And let the labouring bark climb hills of seas,
Olympus-high; and duck again as low
As hell's from heaven! If it were now to die,
' Twere now to be most happy; for, I fear
My soul hath her content so absolute,
That not another comfort like to this
Succeeds in unknown fate.

Desdemona. The heavens forbid
But that out loves and comforts should increase,
Even as our days do grow!

Othello. Amen to that, sweet powers! -
I cannot speak enough of this content,
It stops me here; it is too much of joy;
And this, and this, the greatest discords be [Kissing her.]
That e'er our hearts shall make!

Iago O, you are well tun'd now!
But I'll set down the pegs that make this music,
As honest as I am.
[Aside.]" * Shakespeare

The engraving depicts William Shakespeare's Othello: Act Two, Scene One, when Othello arrives in Cypress and is greeted by Desdemona, Othello, Iago, Cassio, Rodrigo, Emilia and others on a platform. The characters in this Shakespeare play are described as follows; Othello is a proud warrior, a dark skinned handsome man with an imposing manner who is well versed, and is a well respected commander. He claims no country but during the play, he is called a Moor, in reference to the color of his skin, his place of birth, and the Muslim peoples of North-Western Africa. Othello is in the service of the Venetian State, and during Act I, Scene III, he is made Governor of Cypress by the Duke of Venice. While in Venice, he falls in love with the fair and innocent Desdemona, the daughter of Senator Brabantio of Venice. When she also falls in love with him, they elope. (In this original engraving, we see the two lovers embracing, with Iago, Cassio, Rodrigo, Emilia and others on a platform on his arrival to Cypress. Othello is in full military armour and Desdemona wears a white gown.), the text above relates part of the conversation that takes place during this scene. Iago is Othello's old ensign, whose deceiving honesty leads everyone to trust him. However, He is the most malicious character in this play; treacherous, cunning, manipulative and a murderer, a villain who causes the destruction of those around him. Emilia is the mistreated, but loyal wife of the wicked Iago, a good woman who tries to help her friend Desdemona in her hour of need. She is also responsible for Iago's inevitable downfall. Cassio is a brave and noble soldier appointed lieutenant by his commanding officer and friend, Othello. However, he is entrapped in a web of deceit caused by Iago's malicious manipulation. Although he is innocent, Cassio awakens Othello's jealous and murderous fury and looses his respected position as lieutenant and Othello's friendship. Rodrigo is the wealthy, but foolish Venetian gentleman who intends to marry Desdemona, unfortunately for him, he becomes another victim of Iago's deceit. Gratiano is Brabantio's brother and Desdemona's uncle, the man who discovers the mortally wounded Cassio. Lodovico is the Venetian gentleman who is responsible for determining the person or persons responsible for the tragic events. Other characters include, Montano, Bianca, Clown, sailors, officers and other attendants etc. etc. This Shakespearean tragedy does not end well for our hero, as Othello is not only a victim of the murderous Iago; he is also a victim of his own actions, thoughtlessness, misplaced trust, and an uncontrollable temper that, in the end, causing the death of his wife, his friends, and his own life.

This original engraving is an 'Artist Proof Impression'. 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. Note: This original artist proof impression lacks the following text which appears in later impressions.

Shakspeare. Othello, Act II, Scene I, A Platform. Desdemona, Othello, Iago, Cassio, Rodrigo, Emilia, etc. Pub'd. Septr. 29, 1799, by J & J. Boydell, at the Shakspeare Gallery, Pall Mall; & No. 90, Cheapside, London. Engraved by Thos. Ryder. Painted by Thos. Stothard R. A.

Oth. O my fair warriour.
Des. My dear Othello!.
Oth. It gives me wonder great as by content,
To see you here before me. O my soul's joy!
If after every tempest comes such calmness,
May the winds blow till they have waken'd death!

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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