King Richard II

1947

Special Collections PR2820 A2 R54 1935

London: J.M. Dent & Sons

Gill executed illustrations for the Limited Edition versions of Hamlet (1933) and Henry VIII (1939), even though, according to biographer Robert Speaight, Gill had little knowledge of Shakespeare and did not like the Bard that much. This is perhaps over-stated, because he involved himself in a rather long commissioned work through J.M. Dent for their The New Temple Shakespeare, published between 1934 and 1936. Although the 38 titles carry only one or two wood engravings each, they do represent much work and effort. This is despite Gill’s famed skills at cutting quickly and surely: no fussing; no irrelevancies; no fudging. This title-page of King Richard II is from the second reprinted edition of 1947.