Shakespeare and Early Modern Visual Culture

This essay presents an overview of recent work in the area of studies of Shakespeare and visual culture. Aiming to give an indication of the diverse range of approaches that may be adopted in this highly interdisciplinary field, the essay focuses particularly on a recent trend for the analysis of Shakespeare's engagements with visuality from strongly literary perspectives. This trend has produced some valuable work, with significant implications for our understanding of Shakespeare's status as a 'literary' figure. An emphasis on literariness in Shakespeare's interactions with visual culture is linked partly to concerns about the status of visual culture in post-Reformation England. Recent developments in art history and visual studies challenge some of the assumptions about post-Reformation English visual culture that inform current works on Shakespeare and visual culture. By looking closely at relevant new art-historical thinking, literary critics may significantly broaden the framework for the exploration of Shakespeare's works as a part of early modern visual culture.