"This handsome and well-illustrated book originated as the prestigious Paul Mellon Lectures, given by Simon in London and New Haven in 2013. Consisting of nine chapters, it offers a highly suggestive guide to the ways in which the Georgian stage inflected British art."

Literary Review

"Fascinating . . .  Provides a new understanding of the genre of theatrical painting."

Country Life

"[Robin Simon] furthers our understanding of Garrick’s relation to Shakespeare by bringing on stage another member of the cast: the painter William Hogarth. An abundantly illustrated volume sheds light on 'the significance of Shakespeare, Hogarth and Garrick within the European Enlightenment and the rise of Romanticism.'"

The New Criterion

"As such, it is a valuable and enjoyable contribution to theatrical and art history. . . . Though they are placed firmly within theatrical and artistic history, Simon’s three titular subjects nonetheless emerge enriched, providing a wholly convincing justification for Simon’s suggestion that theatre, as the ‘single greatest shared cultural experience’ of 18th-century Britain, is essential to understanding its art."

Apollo

"Scholars of the theater, Shakespeare, portraiture, history painting, and the 18th century will find much in this book to advance their study. Deeply researched and astutely written, it is lavishly illustrated with 207 plates, making the work a delight for both eye and mind."

Choice

"magisterial study"

Times Literary Supplement

"Simon's book, therefore, has utility for a wide scholarly audience. Its extensive introductory material aims towards accessibility for both theatre historians with little grounding in art history, and art historians with little grounding in theatre history. This is a lofty aim, and it is one that Simon nevertheless achieves."

Journal for Eighteenth-Century Studies