the collector's folio

Percy Shakespeare Most Popular Paintings

The 18 artworks by Percy Shakespeare our visitors ask for most, ranked by popularity and presented one by one, with the specification and the price of each hand-painted reproduction.

Edition 2026 · 18 artworks Each artwork painted to order
Linen canvas · Certificate of authenticity · Delivered worldwide Percy Shakespeare · 1906 – 1943

The dramatic Works of William Shakespeare. From the correct edition of Isaac Reed, Esq. With copious annotations. Vol. I. The Life. Dr. Johnson

View the most popular artwork of Percy Shakespeare ranked #1: The dramatic Works of William Shakespeare. From the correct edition of Isaac Reed, Esq. With copious annotations. Vol. I. The Life. Dr. Johnson

Biblioteca Sormani, Milan

A captivating close-up of an antique pink edition of The dramatic Works of William Shakespeare featuring delicate 19th-century cursive annotations that invite you to explore this piece of literary history.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 1 of 18 artworks by Percy Shakespeare
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17825 × 40 cm Commission this artwork

Oeuvres complètes de Shakspeare. Traduites de l

Biblioteca Sormani, Milan

Admire Percy Shakespeare’s ‘Oeuvres Complètes de Shakspeare,’ a stunning aged leather book showcasing Neo-Romantic artistry & historical significance. A unique antique print.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 2 of 18 artworks by Percy Shakespeare
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17828 × 36 cm Commission this artwork

Oeuvres complètes de Shakspeare. Traduites de l

Biblioteca Sormani, Milan

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 3 of 18 artworks by Percy Shakespeare
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17826 × 38 cm Commission this artwork

The Crooner

original 64 x 76 cm

Admire "The Crooner" by Percy Shakespeare – a captivating 1938 oil painting showcasing the 'Thirties at Leisure' series. Neo-Romantic style, timeless appeal.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 4 of 18 artworks by Percy Shakespeare
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$35335 × 29 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$47176 × 64 cm Commission at original size

Oeuvres complètes de Shakspeare. Traduites de l

Biblioteca Sormani, Milan

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 5 of 18 artworks by Percy Shakespeare
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17836 × 28 cm Commission this artwork

On the Rhine

1935 · original 74 x 62 cm

Discover Percy Shakespeare’s ‘On the Rhine’ (1935). A poignant portrait blending realism & impressionism, capturing a melancholic woman amidst a British cityscape. Oil on canvas – timeless beauty.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 6 of 18 artworks by Percy Shakespeare
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17829 × 35 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$28862 × 74 cm Commission at original size

Schoolgirl

1938 · original 76 x 63 cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 7 of 18 artworks by Percy Shakespeare
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17828 × 35 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$29463 × 76 cm Commission at original size

Girl with Daffodils

1937 · original 77 x 65 cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 8 of 18 artworks by Percy Shakespeare
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17829 × 35 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$30065 × 77 cm Commission at original size

Afternoon at the Ice Rink

1938 · original 72 x 96 cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 9 of 18 artworks by Percy Shakespeare
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17836 × 27 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$35896 × 72 cm Commission at original size

A Mulatto

1933 · original 78 x 65 cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 10 of 18 artworks by Percy Shakespeare
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17828 × 35 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$30265 × 78 cm Commission at original size

The Boat Shed

1939 · original 71 x 89 cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 11 of 18 artworks by Percy Shakespeare
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17836 × 28 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$34089 × 71 cm Commission at original size

Seated Nude (Summer)

1933 · original 75 x 60 cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 12 of 18 artworks by Percy Shakespeare
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17828 × 36 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$28560 × 75 cm Commission at original size

Mrs Nell Jenkins

original 102 x 55 cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 13 of 18 artworks by Percy Shakespeare
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17823 × 43 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$31955 × 102 cm Commission at original size

Boy and Dog

1937 · original 91 x 62 cm

Discover Percy Shakespeare’s ‘Boy and Dog’ (1937), a charming oil painting of youthful companionship in a classic Neo-Romantic style. Explore its detailed analysis & artist info.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 14 of 18 artworks by Percy Shakespeare
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17827 × 36 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$32062 × 91 cm Commission at original size

The Tennis Player

original 77 x 64 cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 15 of 18 artworks by Percy Shakespeare
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17829 × 35 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$29864 × 77 cm Commission at original size

Gwendoline Shakespeare (b.1917)

1929 · original 40 x 30 cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 16 of 18 artworks by Percy Shakespeare
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17827 × 37 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$18430 × 40 cm Commission at original size

December on the Downs, Wartime

1944 · original 62.5 x 92.5cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 17 of 18 artworks by Percy Shakespeare
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17839 × 26 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$32493 × 63 cm Commission at original size

Tropical Bird House, Dudley Zoo

1939 · original 75 x 90 cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 18 of 18 artworks by Percy Shakespeare
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17834 × 29 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$35390 × 75 cm Commission at original size

The artist

Percy Shakespeare

1906 – 1943

Quick facts

Died1943
Top 3 worksThe dramatic Works of William Shakespeare. From the correct edition of Isaac Reed, Esq. With copious annotations. Vol. I. The Life. Dr. Johnson, Oeuvres complètes de Shakspeare. Traduites de l
Works on APS18
Born1906, Kates Hill, United Kingdom
Art periodModern
Typical colorsrosy brown, gray
Copyright statusPublic domain

Biography

The Soul of the Interwar Years: The Life and Art of Percy Shakespeare

Percy Shakespeare (1906–1943) remains one of the most poignant figures in British art, a painter whose life and work were inextricably linked to the turbulent atmosphere of the early twentieth century. Born into a working-clss family in Kates Hill, Dudley, Shakespeare’s journey from the council housing of the Wren's Nest Estate to the prestigious halls of the Royal Academy is a testament to a raw, burgeoning talent. His early years were marked by a serendipitous encounter at the Dudley Museum and Art Gallery, which led to a scholarship at the Dudley Art School. This foundational period allowed him to refine his mastery of figure drawing and portraiture, skills that would later become the bedrock of his Neo-Romantic vision. As he progressed to the Birmingham School of Art, studying anatomical drawing under Harold Holden, Shakespeare developed a technical precision that could capture the delicate nuances of human anatomy while simultaneously imbuing his subjects with a profound psychological depth.

A Mastery of Neo-Romanticism and the Thirties Spirit

The essence of Shakespeare’s oeuvre lies in its ability to bridge the gap between the tangible world and the internal landscape of emotion. His style, often categorized as Neo-Romanticism, was far more than a mere aesthetic choice; it was a way of processing the mounting anxieties of an era caught between the prosperity of the 1930s and the encroaching darkness of global conflict. Through his celebrated Thirties at Leisure series, he captured the quiet, often melancholic beauty of everyday British life. In these works, scenes of reading, socializing, or simple companionship are rendered with a masterful use of muted palettes and subtle, impressionistic brushstrokes. There is an underlying tension in his canvases—a sense of stillness that feels both peaceful and precarious. This duality was perhaps most famously captured in his controversial 1933 self-portrait, where he provocatively posed as the demonic Mephistopheles, signaling a departure from traditional portraiture toward a more symbolic, expressive mode of self-representation.

Legacy Amidst the Shadows of War

Shakespeare’s artistic trajectory was tragically truncated by the very history he sought to document. As the Second World War erupted, his life shifted from the quiet introspection of his bedroom studio to the disciplined rigors of the Royal Navy. His death in an air raid in 1943, at the young age of thirty-seven, robbed the art world of a voice that was only beginning to mature into its full potential. Despite the brevity of his career, his impact on the regional identity of Dudley and the broader British art scene remains significant. His achievements include:

Successful exhibitions at the prestigious Royal Academy, where his works were frequently accepted for display.
Recognition by the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists, in which he was elected an associate in 1936.
The creation of a lasting visual record of the interwar period through his evocative and psychologically complex portraiture.
A profound influence on the tonal painting movement, moving away from pure Impressionism toward a more emotive, structured realism.

Today, to look upon a Shakespeare painting is to witness a moment frozen in time—a delicate balance of light, shadow, and human vulnerability that continues to resonate with the modern viewer. His work serves as a hauntingly beautiful window into a lost era of British history, reminding us of the enduring power of art to find beauty even amidst the looming shadows of uncertainty.

Questions & Answers

In which historical period did Percy Shakespeare work?

Percy Shakespeare worked in the Modern period. The period situates the artist's activity in history.

Where is Percy Shakespeare from?

Percy Shakespeare was born in United Kingdom.

How can I follow Percy Shakespeare's work year by year?

The artist's Artwork Timeline page presents Percy Shakespeare's works ordered by date, year by year.

By the TopImpressionists.com Editorial Team Updated Sept. 18, 2026

Collector's quiz

Percy Shakespeare was primarily known for his artistic style:
Shakespeare’s notable series of paintings focused on:
Where was Percy Shakespeare born?
What is the name of one of Percy Shakespeare’s paintings depicting a woman in British life?
Percy Shakespeare died in which year?

one You choose the size

Standard formats or any custom dimension, matched to the proportions of the original.

two We paint and send a preview

A photo of the finished canvas for your approval before it is shipped.

three Delivered, certified

Rolled, stretched or framed, insured, with a certificate of authenticity.

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