 The National Trust claims that it is "the first known painting of a scene from Shakespeare".The painting is a rich and vibrant example of Hogarth's work, painted c.1730-1735 as a special project for one of his devoted band of patrons—The Earl of Macclesfield—as part of Hogarth's attempt to found an distinctively British school of history painting.It is thought that Hogarth was hoping that more commissions for similar scenes would come flowing in after painting this scene, but this did not happen.