'Richard III', Act II, Scene 4, the Duke of York Resigned by the Queen (from the Boydell series)

John Boydell's Shakespeare Gallery, established in the late 1780s, was one of the most ambitious art publishing ventures in British history — commissioning history paintings from the leading painters of the age to illustrate scenes from Shakespeare, with the intention of producing an engraved series. Opie contributed several works to this project, including this scene from Richard III Act II, where the young Duke of York is given up by his mother the Queen — a pivotal moment in the sequence of events leading to the princes' murder. The 1806 date of this Royal Shakespeare Theatre version suggests it was made after the original Boydell production, possibly as a replica or variant for a different venue. History painting from Shakespeare was considered among the most prestigious work a British painter could undertake, and Opie's contributions to the Gallery represent his highest ambitions.

Shakespearean history painting required compositional complexity, historical costume, and emotional narrative across multiple figures. Opie's Caravaggesque lighting is well suited to interior scenes of political tension. The Queen's surrender of the young Duke would be the emotional climax — figures arranged to direct attention to this moment, with expressions ranging from grief to authority to innocence.