Shakespeare's funerary monument
The monument stands inside Holy Trinity Church at Stratford-upon-Avon. It is carved from pale blue limestone. This stone comes from the Cotswold region of England. The figure holds a real quill pen in one hand. A piece of paper rests on a cushion in the other hand. The buttoned doublet features ornamental slashes. Historical records suggest this garment was originally painted scarlet. The loose subfusc gown appears black to modern eyes. The eyes are hazel and the hair is auburn. The beard matches the color of the hair. These colors have been altered many times over centuries.
Scholars traditionally identify Gerard Johnson as the sculptor who created this work. Lena Cowen Orlin challenges this attribution with new evidence. She argues that Nicholas Johnson, Gerard's brother, likely modeled the effigy from life. Nicholas may have had access to Shakespeare while he was still alive. This theory suggests the artist worked directly from the poet rather than using a death mask. The date of erection remains unknown but must be before 1623. Leonard Digges published a poem in the First Folio that year mentioning the monument. John Weever transcribed the inscription around 1617 or 1618. H. R. Woudhuysen analyzed these undated manuscripts to establish the timeline.
Beneath the figure lies an epitaph written in Latin. The first line compares Shakespeare to Nestor the King of Pylos. It calls him a Socrates in genius and a Maro in art. The second line states that Earth covers him while people mourn. Olympus holds his spirit according to the text. An English poem appears below the Latin verses. Stanley Wells notes that this cryptic verse asks passersby to pay tribute. He admits the final lines are difficult to interpret fully. The name does not deck the tomb itself. Smaller lettering beneath the poem records the date of death. It states he died in the year of the Lord 1616. The inscription specifies he was in his 53rd year on the 23rd of April.
Parson Joseph Greene organized the restoration between 1748 and 1749. He arranged for the first known performance of Othello in Stratford Town Hall. John Ward's company performed the play on the 9th of September 1746. All receipts from the event funded the repair work. Greene wrote that the figure was removed to be cleansed of dust. A limner named John Hall painted a picture of the monument before 1748. Edmond Malone persuaded the vicar to paint the entire structure white in 1793. This decision reflected Neoclassical tastes of the era. The white layer remained until 1861 when it was finally removed. Restorers repainted the monument using colors recovered from beneath the white layer.
Thomas Gainsborough once described Shakespeare's bust as a silly smiling thing. J. Dover Wilson remarked that the effigy makes him look like a self-satisfied pork butcher. Sir Nikolaus Pevsner called the iconographical type that of a scholar or divine. He described the figure as a self-satisfied schoolmaster. Richard Owen argued that a death mask discovered by Ludwig Becker in 1849 was used. Measurements of the mask did not correspond with the monument figure. Park Honan asserts facial features appear modeled on a mask despite discrepancies. Spielmann suggests the stiff simplicity suited a sepulchral sculpture better than life-like depiction. Schoenbaum calls it a typical example of Jacobean Renaissance style.
Intruders entered Holy Trinity Church in 1973 and removed the figure. They tried to chip out the inscription from the stone base. Local police believed they sought valuable manuscripts rumored to be hidden inside. Sam Schoenbaum examined the damage after the incident occurred. The figure suffered only very slight damage during the break-in attempt. Security measures have been implemented since this event. The monument remains protected within the chancel of the church today.
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Common questions
Where is Shakespeare's funerary monument located?
The monument stands inside Holy Trinity Church at Stratford-upon-Avon. It is carved from pale blue limestone sourced from the Cotswold region of England.
Who sculpted Shakespeare's funerary monument and when was it erected?
Scholars traditionally identify Gerard Johnson as the sculptor who created this work, though Lena Cowen Orlin argues Nicholas Johnson likely modeled the effigy from life. The date of erection remains unknown but must be before 1623 when Leonard Digges published a poem mentioning the monument.
What does the epitaph on Shakespeare's funerary monument say about his death?
Smaller lettering beneath the English poem records the date of death stating he died in the year of the Lord 1616. The inscription specifies he was in his 53rd year on the 23rd of April.
How did Parson Joseph Greene restore Shakespeare's funerary monument between 1748 and 1749?
Parson Joseph Greene organized the restoration using receipts from a performance of Othello by John Ward's company on the 9th of September 1746. He arranged for the figure to be removed and cleansed of dust while a limner named John Hall painted a picture of the monument before 1748.
Why is the color of Shakespeare's funerary monument different today than originally intended?
Historical records suggest the buttoned doublet was originally painted scarlet and the loose subfusc gown appeared black, yet these colors have been altered many times over centuries. Edmond Malone persuaded the vicar to paint the entire structure white in 1793 reflecting Neoclassical tastes until restorers repainted it with recovered colors after removing the white layer in 1861.