Bassanio and Portia

Gilbert Stuart Newton specialized in anecdotal scenes of literary subjects, widely distributed through engravings. His 1831 painting of an episode from Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, in which the lovers Bassanio and Portia receive a fateful letter reporting the impending death of Bassanio's friend Antonio, reflects the values of its Victorian context. Shakespeare's quick-witted and capable Portia, who ultimately saves Antonio through heroic feats and skillful rhetoric, here epitomizes feminine deference as she rests on the arm of her bolder husband. The niche sculpture of lovers, the embracing couple Nerissa and Gratiano in the background, and the coupled dogs-a traditional symbol of fidelity-reinforce the virtues of marriage and faithfulness.