Title

Autolycus, by C.R. Leslie, from the National Collection in the South Kensington Museum, 1865. Creator: W Thomas.

Caption

Autolycus, by C.R. Leslie, from the National Collection in the South Kensington Museum, 1865. Engraving of a painting, scene '...from "The Winter's Tale," act iv. scene 3..."Here's another ballad, Of a fish, that appeared upon the coast, on 'Wednesday, the fourscore of April, forty thousand fathom above water, and sung this ballad about the hard hearts of maids". The passage at once gives the clue to the audacious humour of the ballad-singer and the credulous folly of the rustics...There is perhaps none of Shakspeare's minor characters more admirably and laughably individualised than the professional pedler and incurable "rogue" Autolycus, and surely nothing could more aptly realise the poet's conception than the painter's representation of the character before us - with his pack of cheap and tawdry, but to the simple and vain irresistibly tempting wares slung before him; with his rakishly slouched hat and draggled feather, his loose mantle, so convenient for a "snapper-up of unconsidered trifles," and now vociferating his lying ballads with such an air of entire good faith and unctuous enthusiasm'. From "Illustrated London News", 1865.

Credit line

Photo12/Heritage Images/The Print Collector

Reference

HRM24A26_450

Model release

NA

Property release

NA

License type

Rights managed

Available size

52,3Mb (4,7Mb) / 16,5in x 12,3in / 4949 x 3697 (300dpi)

Keywords

female women woman people male job man men music arts painting playhouse art guy theatre occupation British color jewellery jewelry century gallery Britain disguise profession newspapers press picture print literature salesman concept pictures exhibition disguised B&W deceitful engraved engraving street vendor art gallery street seller deceit Colour Travelling Salesman deceiving 19th century black & white black and white B W ballad white and black nineteenth century The Print Collector ballad singer Illustrated London News itinerant peddler pedlar Shakespearean Shakespearian street trader The Winter's Tale Winter's Tale ILN Charles Robert Leslie Autolycus newspaper William Shakespeare Shakespeare William W Thomas Thomas W A Winter's Tale art centre Charles R Leslie C. R. Leslie Leslie Charles Robert Shakspeare 19th-century W. Thomas Thomas W. in disguise