'William Shakespeare - Exit, Pursued By A Bear' is an open edition, illustrative literary print by New York City based creative studio 'Obvious State'. This artwork is printed on heavy premium 270 gsm Fine Art paper with an elegant eggshell finish.

"Exit, pursued by a bear." - William Shakespeare

This quote is a stage direction from Shakespeare’s "The Winter’s Tale" that is infamous for its hilarity and difficulty to stage. It's one of the best literary inside jokes (welcome to the club!).

Generally, Shakespeare limited his stage directions to the most basic instructions - [Exit Hamlet], [Enter Ophelia], [Dies] - simple enough. But in this particular direction, a lot of things happen at once without any warning or supporting dialogue. Antigonus has been tasked with abandoning the baby Perdita in a desolate place, but he's having second thoughts. Suddenly a storm wrecks his ship, and then… he "exits, pursued by a bear."

Wait WHAT? So, apparently there’s a bear in the woods, and it has entered. Hungry. Without so much as an “O help!” he is chased off stage and dispatched. How can this sudden deluge of violence and fur not be funny? How do you stage it without destroying the tone of the scene? Do you embrace the surprise and have a little fun?

We went with “a little fun” and for this illustration, a bear materializes out of the woods without warning and "just because."

Frame Details: We use sustainable wooden frames and glass, not fibreboard and acrylic which typically you find in 'off the shelf' frames. Unlike acrylic, glass does not lose its clarity over time and can be easily and safely cleaned. We have been successfully shipping ready to hang frames containing glass since we opened in 2005. There are two finishes to choose from: black or white.

For frame details click the ‘View Frame Details’ link above.

Packaging Details: We go to great lengths to ensure that your purchase arrives in perfect condition. We only use sturdy cardboard postal tubes and double walled cardboard boxes. We use as much recycled and recyclable material as possible, including newspapers from our coffee shop, Coffee Yard, to pack our boxes.

Delivery Details: Unframed prints come flat packed. Place your order by 3pm for same day dispatch. Next day delivery is available at checkout. For full delivery information, including cost, click the ‘Delivery Information’ link above.