MovieChat Forums > Anonymous (2011) Discussion > Google Art on April 23, 2016

Google Art on April 23, 2016

posted 8 years ago by Richard-Nathan
4 replies | jump to latest

This may be too late for many of you. Today GOOGLE had artwork on its main page, honoring William Shakespeare on the 400th anniversary of his death. They had pictures representing several of the plays. Most of them were fairly obvious. I assume the one with the handkerchief was "Othello." But I was confused by the picture of the King that looked like an old fashioned racist caricature of a black man. I would assume it was supposed to be King Lear if his beard was white, and if he did not look so much like a racist sterotype, and if his nose did not look so much like a carrot.

[–] alfa-16 8 years ago

They're called 'Google Doodles' and if you search with a date you'll find them.

I'm baffled too. There was a Zulu Macbeth at the Barbican in the 70’s, I think or it might be Lear. The was also a lot of fuss when the RSC cast David Oyelowo as Henry IV fifteen years ago for all the usual stupid reasons. Apart from that, I'm stumped, too.

[–] syntinen 8 years ago

The colouring in the artwork is quite non-naturalistic, though; Julius Caesar is as dark brown as any sub-Saharan African. And the face of the king on the throne isn't skin-tone 'black', but black black. Nor are his features remotely African. I'm inclined to think that the colouring and the expression convey guilt and/or dread, and that this might be Claudius or Macbeth. Or even Leontes, perhaps.

[–] devansarty-1 8 years ago

According to the BBC it's 'Lear' http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-36119546

Taking painting to the pictures ...
www.thepicturepalace.co.uk

[–] Hairy_Lime 8 years ago

Romeo also appears black.

Datta, dayadhvam, damyata.