Blocked by church doctrine, cultural shortcomings, lack of training and a preference for hiring established artists from continental Europe, narrative painting started with James Thornhill.
narrative
His paintings are set in mediaeval times, with tales of chivalry, or in ‘Regency’ times, with tricorn hats and jovial men selling ribbons door-to-door.
Often considered a Pre-Raphaelite, with common themes, he was an academic outsider whose photo-real paintings are finely crafted fantasies.
Full of memorable lines such as “All the world’s a stage” and songs like “It was a lover and his lass”, a favourite comedy and well painted.
Suppressed by the Reformation, narrative painting didn’t really get going in Britain until the early 18th century, but made up for lost time.
This play, responsible for the burning down of the Globe Theatre, tells the story of Henry’s divorce from Queen Katherine and the birth of Queen Elizabeth I.
A traditional English farce, starring Sir John Falstaff, one of Shakespeare’s favourite characters, who sets out to seduce two married women.
Based on Plutarch’s Lives, this play contains some of the most memorable quotations in English, and has been painted quite frequently.
A story of jealousy, adultery, treachery and race, which resulted in an early professional actress in a lead, and the first major lead for a black actor.
Titania, Queen of the Fairies, falls in love with Bottom, whose head has been turned into that of an ass. All ends well, after a farcical play within a play/
The Eclectic Light Company 