Lot Essay
The present work is the first drawing of William Shakespeare writing a Sonnet, executed by the artist in 1905. Beerbohm (presumably on request) produced a later version with somewhat less detail in 1907 which is included as no.1473, pl.53 in Sir Rupert Hart Davis's catalogue. Sir Rupert recorded in the catalogue that this later version had been incorrectly dated 1905. It had been confused with the present work which would have been in the list of works for the 1945 exhibition. In 1991 Sir Rupert wrote to the present owner that this work would have been the earliest version of the subject.