Hamlet Makes the Players Enact the Poisoning of His Father, plate 7 from Hamlet

Hamlet Makes the Players Enact the Poisoning of His Father, plate 7 from Hamlet is a powerful lithograph created by Eugène Delacroix French, 1798-1863, in 1835. This work is a defining example of the artist’s deep commitment to graphic arts and his profound admiration for Shakespeare. Delacroix executed this print using the complex lithographic technique, rendering the scene in rich black ink on delicate off-white China paper, which was subsequently mounted onto a sturdier white wove sheet. This layered approach provided the artist with the velvety tonal range necessary to convey the psychological intensity of the staged drama.

The piece captures the climax of the staged play, known as "The Mousetrap." Hamlet observes his uncle, King Claudius, whose guilt in the murder of the previous king will be exposed by his terrified reaction to the reenactment of the poisoning. Delacroix masterfully uses dramatic contrast between shadow and concentrated light to heighten the narrative tension. The figures are positioned tightly within the frame, emphasizing the claustrophobic atmosphere of suspicion and hidden violence central to the play. Produced in France during the height of the Romantic movement, the artwork prioritizes emotional complexity over classical restraint, a hallmark of Delacroix’s approach to literature.

This lithograph is part of Delacroix's famous thirteen-plate series dedicated entirely to the tragedy of Hamlet, which cemented his reputation as the premier Romantic interpreter of Shakespearean drama. The high quality and narrative detail of the resulting prints secured the series’ enduring popularity among collectors. This significant example of 1835 French printmaking currently resides in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, making the image widely accessible for study through public domain initiatives today.