Prince Arthur and Hubert

William Frederick Yeames R.A. 1835 - 1918

Summary

Scene depicting the figures of a young boy, Prince Arthur, and Hubert, his jailor, who has been instructed to tie up the young prince and blind him with a hot iron, as described in Shakespeare’s King John, act IV, scene 1. They are seated on a wooden bench against a heavy wooden table. Hubert leans against the table behind him, with one hand clasping its edge and the other pinned between his knees, his head is lowered, his brow furrowed and eyes downcast; he is depicted in a black, belted medieval robe with a separate hood pulled over his head. The boy, by contrast, wears a gleaming white tunic and has fair hair and almost translucent skin; sitting to the side of Hubert, he leans towards him with one arm wrapped around his shoulders and the other pressing on his arm with an imploring expression on his face. On the wooden floor in the right foreground is a coil of rope. The bench and table, which is covered with a white cloth with a simple striped design at each end, are of a functional design in a red coloured wood and are the only visible furnishings. In the right background is a large stone column.

Display Label

William Frederick Yeames (1835-1918),

Prince Arthur and Hubert

1882, English

Oil on Canvas

The subject is taken from Shakespeare's 'King John'. Hubert (in black) has been ordered by King John to kill Arthur who has a claim to the throne. After Arthur's eloquent pleading Hubert is unable to bring himself to carry out his plan.

Yeames was a painter of historical costume pieces, the best known of which is 'And When Did You last See Your Father?' (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), which also shows a child threatened by adults, a favourite Victorian theme.
Purchased 1883.19