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Imagining Shakespeare: Mythmaking and Storytelling in the Regency Era
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Imagining Shakespeare: Mythmaking and Storytelling in the Regency Era

Folger Theatre · Capitol Hill

RunningOct 4 – Aug 2
Art Formvisual_arts
Who It's Good For

If you're interested in literary history, Romantic-era aesthetics, or how canonical works get reinterpreted by different generations, this is essential. It's less essential for those seeking straightforward character studies or plot illustrations, but valuable for anyone curious about the visual culture surrounding Shakespeare and the politics of artistic adaptation.

The Folger Shakespeare Library is hosting a landmark exhibition of 14 paintings from the Boydell Shakespeare Gallery—a collection that hasn't been seen together since the early 19th century. This isn't simply a display of pretty pictures illustrating famous scenes; it's a window into how the Regency era actively reimagined Shakespeare, filtering his work through their own aesthetic and moral sensibilities. These paintings reveal as much about the anxieties and aspirations of 1790s London as they do about the plays themselves. Visitors to Capitol Hill will encounter a conversation across centuries about artistic ownership and interpretation: what happens when visual artists claim the right to complete Shakespeare's vision? The exhibition invites you to think about the gap between what Shakespeare wrote and what subsequent generations saw in his work.

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Folger Theatre is in Capitol Hill. The nearest Metro station is Union Station (Red Line), located about a 10-minute walk away. The Blue and Silver Lines also serve Union Station, making it accessible from multiple directions across the city.
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Last updated April 5, 2026 · Summaries written by Theaterloop editors with AI assistance

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