ON THE PORTRAIT OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE FROM THE FIRST FOLIO: IMAGE, CONSTRUCTION, INTERPRETATION

Abstract

The present text analyzes the portrait of William Shakespeare from the First Folio (1623) based on the interpretation proposed in the monograph by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Liza Boeva, The Project “William Shakespeare” (2026). The focus is placed on the formal characteristics of the image, its iconographic specificity, and its conceptual function as a consciously constructed visual representation. The study examines the relationship between the engraving and the accompanying text, as well as the role of this portrait in the process of constructing the figure of “Shakespeare” within European culture.