Print Culture and the Composition of a Visual Anthology: The Picturesque Beauties of Shakespeare (1783–1787)

ABSTRACT: This article explores the print-cultural and aesthetic significance of Charles Taylor's illustrated anthology of Shakespeare's plays, The Picturesque Beauties of Shakespeare (1783–1787). It analyzes its illustration, marketing, and reception, highlighting its pioneering role in visual anthologies of Shakespeare as a picturesque collection. Despite recent attention to illustrated Shakespeare materials, Taylor's contribution to Shakespeare's recognition, canonization, and consumption remains largely overlooked. This study demonstrates how Taylor's publication advanced Shakespeare's popularization beyond textual plays, engaging the late eighteenth-century readership with Shakespeare visually.