Hamlet

Jeffrey T. Larson

United States b. 1962

Oil on board

31.75 x 45.5 in.

Mori and Jacobson Collection

The artist’s subject is taken from William Shakespeare’s play, “The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark”, written around 1600. The play is a complex tale of murder and madness, with ghostly figures taking prominent roles in motivating several characters. Exactly which scene the artist depicts here isn’t entirely clear. It is likely Hamlet who lies at the bottom of the stairs, but whether it shows the Prince of Denmark in an episode of feigned insanity or at his death after being killed by a poisoned sword, we cannot say. Similarly, the female figure, partly hidden behind a column is probably Ophelia, whose love for Hamlet leads to her suicide. The identity of both figures is obscure, and the female may even represent a spirit rather than a living character. In any case, Larson uses a stark, bleak stage setting along with murky shadows to emphasize the drama of the story.

The contemporary Minnesota artist, Jeffrey T. Larson, paints in a solidly realistic style that he acquired at the Atelier Lack in Minneapolis.