Artwork
H Beard Print Collection
H Beard Print Collection is a print by Alfred Concanen. It dates from 1850 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. The print is a 19th‑century sheet‑music cover titled “Falstaff Quadrille,” created for a composition by Charles Coote.
About this work
Overview
The print is a 19th‑century sheet‑music cover titled “Falstaff Quadrille,” created for a composition by Charles Coote. Produced in London by the printer Stannard & Co. and issued by the publisher Metzler & Co., it forms part of the H Beard Print Collection, illustrating the commercial art that accompanied popular dance music of the period.
Subject & Meaning
The illustration frames the title “Falstaff Quadrille,” referencing the Shakespearean character Falstaff and suggesting a lively, socially oriented dance. The design combines typographic elements with ornamental motifs typical of Victorian sheet‑music covers, aiming to attract buyers by conveying the piece’s spirited character and fashionable appeal.
Technique & Style
Executed as a lithographic print, the work employs bold line work and decorative borders characteristic of mid‑Victorian graphic design. Stannard & Co. utilized the era’s standard printing processes, allowing for fine detail in the lettering and ornamental flourishes while maintaining the reproducibility needed for mass‑market distribution.
History & Provenance
Printed in London during the latter half of the 1800s, the cover was disseminated by Metzler & Co., a prominent music publisher of the time. It later entered the H Beard Print Collection, a private assemblage of nineteenth‑century prints, and is now documented as part of that archive.
Context
Quadrilles were a popular form of social dance in Victorian England, often accompanied by light orchestral music. Sheet‑music covers like this one served both as advertising and as decorative objects, reflecting the intersection of music consumption and visual culture in the era’s burgeoning middle class.
Artist & collection
Artist
Alfred Concanen’s prints bring the lively streets of 19th-century London to life, filled with crowds, carriages, and shopfronts.
