Henri Fuseli’s King Lear Admonishing Cordelia is on display for a limited time at the AGO as part of the exhibition Drama and Desire: Artists and the Theatre.
“King Lear Admonishing Cordelia” (“King Lear Banishing Cordelia”). Henri Fuseli, Swiss, 1741-1825. painting c. 1784-1790. oil on canvas 267.3 x 364.5cm. Gift from Contributing Member’s Fund, 1965
How do you bring a work of art to life? The largest painting in ‘Drama and Desire’ is the focus of an AGO experiment. Visitors can settle into a comfortable leather chair and catch the action. In a pivotal moment of the play, King Lear (recorded by Stratford actor James Blendick) banishes Cordelia (Sara Topham) from his kingdom forever. Synchronized lighting effects will accompany the speeches to give the impression that the two characters in the painting have come alive.