 Romeo and Juliet is one of Shakespeare 's most @-@ illustrated works . The first known illustration was a woodcut of the tomb scene , thought to be by Elisha Kirkall , which appeared in Nicholas Rowe 's 1709 edition of Shakespeare 's plays . Five paintings of the play were commissioned for the Boydell Shakespeare Gallery in the late 18th century , one representing each of the five acts of the play . The 19th century fashion for " pictorial " performances led to directors drawing on paintings for their inspiration , which in turn influenced painters to depict actors and scenes from the theatre . In the 20th century , the play 's most iconic visual images have derived from its popular film versions . 
