Hamlet – Shakespeare William (2025)

The new edition of the immortal Hamlet combines two extraordinary qualities: a modern acclaimed translation by Jiří Joska, which gives the classic drama a new freshness and liveliness without depriving it of its poetic power and semantic ambiguity, and a unique series of pen drawings by the original Art Nouveau and Art Deco illustrator John Austen, which represents one of the most remarkable artistic interpretations of this tragedy ever.
Austen's 'cult' series of pen drawings from 1922 is highly valued for its unmistakable style – black-and-white, Art Nouveau-inspired images that seem cut out from a theatrical scene or a (bad) dream, combining delicate drawing, decorative elements, and striking stylization with dramatic contrasts of light and dark and captivating 'Gothic' symbolism. Austen's images serve not only as an accompaniment to the text but also provide a distinctive interpretation of the work. In his illustrations, Austen skillfully uncovers various thematic layers of the drama and originally visualizes its psychological and existential depth, doing so in a way that anticipates some modern views on the psychology of Shakespearean characters.