{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1137201"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1137201/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2010EG2069/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2010EG2069/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2010EG2069","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O1137201/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1137201","accessionNumber":"S.2722-2009","objectType":"Print","titles":[{"title":"H Beard Print Collection","type":"named collection"}],"summaryDescription":"Silvester Harding, <i>The Spirit of Shakspere appearing to his Detracters</i> (ca. 1796). Hand-coloured etching.  \n\nThe late 18th century saw a growing interest in Shakespeare’s life, and a desire to find documentary evidence of the national playwright. One of the seekers was Samuel Ireland, an engraver and collector who, while visiting Warwickshire in 1794, attempt to track down the Shakespeare family papers. When none were forthcoming, Ireland's teenage son, William Henry  (1775-1835) attempted to make good the deficiency by forging documents to fill the gaps in Shakespeare’s biography. The younger Ireland claimed to have made his ‘discoveries’ at a country house belonging to a wealthy gentleman who conveniently preferred anonymity. These included a mortgage deed written at the Globe theatre, letters to Anne Hathaway and the Earl of Southampton, correspondence with a publisher, and the original manuscript of <i>King Lear</i>. The London literary world was delighted as more and more documents mysteriously came to light, and when Ireland revealed the existence of a long-lost play, <i>Vortigern and Rowena</i>, it was accepted for performance by the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.\n\nHowever, by the time the play was staged, there were severe doubts concerning Ireland's fortuitous finds. The forger had overreached himself and, amid growing scepticism, the scholar Edmond Malone published <i>An Inquiry into the Authenticity of Certain Miscellaneous Papers … Attributed to Shakespeare</i> which comprehensively demonstrated that the documents could not be genuine. A few days later, on 2 April 1796 <i>Vortigern and Rowena</i> was given one disastrous performance and was jeered by the audience. Vortigern's unfortunate Act V line, \"and when this solemn mockery is ended\", caused particular merriment.\n\nThe line is parodied in the verse beneath Silvester Harding’s satirical print, which shows the Ireland family cowering before the reproachful shade of Shakespeare. Scattered pages of text contain satirical digs at <i>Vortigern</i> and a gibe at Ireland’s clumsy attempts to imitate Elizabethan spelling: ‘Tributary lines to Ireland Irelande or Irlaunde for I could not spell his name W Shakspere’. Harding extends the joke by adding a note beneath the figure of Shakespeare, stating that the print was 'Design'd &amp; Engraved' by the famous artist William Hogarth, and 'found by sombody in an old Chest’. \n\n\n","physicalDescription":"Hand coloured etching entitled 'The spirit of Shakspere appearing to his detracters', showing the figure of Shakespeare, left, in profile, standing on a cloud, with, right, five kneeling figures, who cower before him.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Silvester Harding","id":"AUTH326026"},"association":{"text":"print-makers","id":"AAT25164"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"watercolour","id":"x33202"},{"text":"printing ink","id":"AAT187371"},{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"}],"techniques":[{"text":"print-making","id":"AAT131119"},{"text":"etching (printing process)","id":"AAT53241"},{"text":"hand-colouring","id":"AAT133555"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Hand coloured etching","categories":[{"text":"Prints","id":"THES48903"},{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2010EG2069"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"008","id":"THES356577"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"prints","id":"AAT41273"}],[{"text":"etchings","id":"AAT41365"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Great Britain","id":"x32019"},"association":{"text":"published","id":"x30682"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1796","earliest":"1791-01-01","latest":"1800-12-31"},"association":{"text":"published","id":"x30682"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Harry R. Beard Collection, given by Isobel Beard","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"24.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"31.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Satirical print entitled 'The spirit of Shakspere appearing to his detracters', showing Shakespeare's ghost appearing to the family of William Henry Ireland, ca.1796. Harry Beard Collection","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Ireland, William Henry","id":"N10449"},{"text":"Shakespeare, William","id":"N15"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.2722-2009"],"accessionNumberNum":"2722","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2009,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"H Beard collection numbering","id":"THES50444"},"number":"F.120-18"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-11-05","recordCreationDate":"2009-09-18","availableToBook":true}}