Sculpture of William Shakespeare

Description

Sculpture of William Shakespeare by Leonty Usov, made from Siberian pine, which is native to the sculptor's home town, Tomsk in Russia. The sculpture takes the form of a carved bust fixed onto a block base. Dated 2010. Shakespeare is holding a quill pen and scroll and engaging directly with the viewer, with more abstract elements: an almost disembodied split head, voids created by the missing torso and literal references to his works in the form of carved square notes staked to his upper body, the works referenced are Hamlet, Macbeth, Henry VI, Othello, Richard III. The split head represents the question "to be or not to be".