III Richard by Nicolai Abildgaard was created in 1787. The painting is in National Museum of Art, Oslo. The size of the work is 38 x 29 cm and is made of oil on canvas.
The small yet highly expressive painting Richard III depicts a dramatic scene wherein the English king awakes in fright. It is Shakespeare’s portrayal of the scene in his drama Richard III (act V, scene III) that has inspired Abildgaard: the king still has the nightmarish visions in his mind’s eye, and the many ghostly apparitions of his relatives are visible only to him. Abildgaard has composed the scene with dramatic lighting of Richard’s muscular, partially nude body… Read more in National Museum of Art, Oslo
The Artist: Danish neoclassical painter Nicolai Abildgaard (1743 – 1809) studied in Rome, where he was primarily influenced by antique sculpture and Roman wall paintings. His style was classical, though with a romantic trend, and he had a remarkable sense of colour. Many of his paintings are melodramatic interpretations of episodes from ancient literature. He taught at the Danish Royal Academy of Fine Arts, of which he became director in 1789… Read more
This painting is available for purchase as an art print on canvas from canvastar.com
