King Lear and Cordelia (1857)

This page presents "King Lear and Cordelia" (1857), created by Edward Matthew Ward. Figurative in brief: Portraits, group scenes, studies of the nude, and pictures of daily life all belong to figurative art. Over the centuries, painters have used the figure to express social standing, narrative, and emotion. Context for 1857: The first half of the nineteenth century moved from Neoclassicism to Romanticism, which placed emotion, nature, and the sublime at the centre of painting. The invention of lithography around 1796 and its spread in these decades made printed images cheaper and more varied. It is listed in the Figurative collection. The image is in landscape orientation.

Buying "King Lear and Cordelia" means getting a digital file, not a physical print: Digital JPEG + PDF files, 300 DPI, delivered by email once payment is confirmed. A 300 DPI file is intended for printing at home or at a local print shop, where you can choose a matte, satin, or fine-art paper to suit the room. A landscape format suits wide, low wall spaces such as the stretch above a bed, mantel, or sideboard. Figurative works draw attention to the human presence, the gesture, and the emotional tone, so they work particularly well as a standalone focal point in living rooms, studies, and bedrooms. A simple frame with a mat often helps an image settle comfortably into a room. Screens and printers render colour differently, so a small test print is a sensible way to check tones before committing to a large size. Hang the print away from direct sunlight, which over the years can fade any printed colour. Choosing a standard frame size and printing to fit it often saves the cost of custom framing.

English, 1816–1879

If you like the visual language of Edward Matthew Ward, explore more works by the same artist in our collection.