Shakespeare, Gentleman

gregneville1
A Midsummer Night's Dream_illustration by David Gentleman copy
Cover design and illustration by David Gentleman

Shakespeare covers

In 1967 the English illustrator David Gentleman was commissioned by Penguin to produce the cover art for a new series of Shakespeare plays. The resulting thirty two titles stand as one of the most distinctive and artistically successful series in the company’s history.

Each artwork captures some distinctive episode from the specific play, presented through a vivid series of woodcut designs in medieval style. Bold Helvetica titles provide structure and contrast. This extensive series have a strong visual impact both individually and as a series. 

Elderly artist in his studio
David Gentleman, aged in his 80s, at work in his London studio. Image from the documentary An Artist’s Life in London (see below) 

According to Mike Dempsey in his interview with the artist (see below), David Gentleman has never had an assistant and has always worked from his home. Here he describes his process :

“Hans Schmoller’s brief was that the covers should be in colour and that they should reflect the overall theme and feeling of each play, but not look like a recommendation as to how it might be staged. 

I treated each cover as a small colour print, using flat printings in self-colours instead of three-colour process. I was often quite anxious about the colours, which generally needed a second proof to get them right. As the series went on, I often engraved the designs smaller than finished size and then enlarged the proofs for greater carrying power.

It never occurred to me that anybody would collect or exhibit my work as paintings. What I wanted to do was for it to be seen, to have these Shakespeare covers seen by a whole generation of school children at an impressionable age.” 

The Shakespeare assignment was a long one :

The designs were done over about ten years as plays came up for reprinting. Altogether, Shakespeare was a long haul, but though the intervals between deadlines grew longer, I always took the series’ eventual completion for granted. In the end, it never quite made it – there was no Hamlet or Sonnets – and one day I was a bit surprised to notice in a bookshop that another artists had taken the series over. It was salutary to be reminded that nothing lasts for ever. But I’m glad that my long involvement with Penguin effectively ended with such a worthwhile task, and that a generation of schoolchildren would have seen one or other of my covers.

 

My twenty-five Gentleman Shakespeares

Taming of the Shrew_New Penguin Shakespeare_Gentleman////landscape with medieval military tents////henr-ivpart-1_new-penguin-shakespeare--gentleman 

the-rape-of-lucrece_new-penguin-shakespeare-gentleman////illustration of Venice Rialto with two figures in foregroundd/////julius-caesar_new-penguin-shakespeare_new-penguin-shakespeare--gentleman

Venice colonnades with shadowy figures//./alls-well-that-ends-well_new-penguin-shakespeare--gentleman////Four garden bowers with lovers in each

illustration of medieval castle with figures////Woman on pedestal with curtains/////Falstaff with figures

two-gentlemen-of-verona_new-penguin-shakespeare-gentleman////illustration of statue of wolf suckling Romulus and Remus////Twelfth Night_New Penguin Shakespeare_Gentleman

illustration of sailing ship in stormy sea//.//illustration of man and two women in storm/////illustration of stormy landscape with three shadowy figures

/illustration of shipwreck///Two Noble Kinsmen_New Penguin Shakespeare_Gentleman///.//illustration of dungeon with figures

Penguin_Romeo & Juliet_Gentleman////henry-viii_new-penguin-shakespeare_new-penguin-shakespeare--gentleman//..//Penguin_Timon of Athens_Gentleman

medieval man with large head of donkey

Mike Dempsey’s interview with David Gentleman

Mike Dempsey, the distinguished former Penguin designer who now runs an excellent blog on design matters, has interviewed David Gentleman. The 80 year old artist talks about his Penguin experiences, including the Shakespeare series.

A short film about David Gentleman

Penguin Books has posted a short film about David Gentleman. The now 80 year old artist, who is still working and producing books, talks about his career and is seen at work in the London studio has had since the 1950s – An Artist’s Life in London | Work in Progress with David Gentleman    

Bibliography

An Artist’s Life in London:Work in Progress with David Gentleman, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EOsH-h4K4A

Royal Designers for Industry interview with David Gentleman, https://www.royaldesignersforindustry.org/rdi/55/david-gentleman

Drawn Directly to the Plate

They used simple, flat block-colour overprinting on to black engravings. This was complemented by Gentleman’s favourite typeface, Helvetica Bold, for the titles.    the ancient skill of wood engraving reinvented through modern eyes.    He has never had an assistant and has always worked from his home. He is the epitome of the classic freelance graphic designer – Mike Dempsey.

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