It might not be Valentine’s Day just yet, but one of the greatest love stories ever told was supposedly debuted on this day. Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet—which was officially published as early as 1597—has been immortalized on stage, screen and in the visual arts, with impassioned depictions such as Frank Bernard Dicksee’s romantic embrace from 1884, on show at Southampton City Art Gallery. This painting of the lovers locking lips on the balcony moments before Romeo’s swift exit (with one leg already over the ledge) perfectly captures the urgency of the moment.
