Artwork
H Beard Print Collection
H Beard Print Collection is a print by the Romanticist artist J.T. Barber. It dates from 4 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. This 1805 print portrays the actor George Frederick Cooker in his celebrated portrayal of King Richard III.
About this work
This print shows a stage actor playing a famous king. Made in 1805, it’s a portrait of George Frederick Cooke in the role of Richard III. The print is part of a collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
The actor’s lively pose hints at the drama of the play. It was published by John P. Thompson that same year.
Look up the Victoria and Albert Museum next.
Overview
This 1805 print portrays the actor George Frederick Cooker in his celebrated portrayal of King Richard III. Produced as a single‑sheet image, it captures a moment from the stage production and was issued by the London publisher John P. Thompson. The work is now held in the print collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Subject & Meaning
The image focuses on Cooke’s embodiment of the titular monarch, emphasizing the dramatic intensity associated with Shakespeare’s villainous king. By freezing a theatrical gesture, the print conveys both the character’s political ambition and the actor’s interpretive vigor, offering a visual record of early‑19th‑century performance practice.
Technique & Style
Executed as a printed illustration, the work employs line engraving to delineate costume details and facial expression. The composition balances clear contour work with tonal shading, typical of commercial theatrical prints of the period, allowing the figure to stand out against a relatively plain background.
History & Provenance
Published in the same year as the performance, the print was distributed by John P. Thompson, a prominent London printer of theatrical imagery. It entered the Victoria and Albert Museum’s holdings through acquisition of the H Beard Print Collection, a bequest that expanded the museum’s representation of early British stage portraiture.
Artist & collection
Artist
Printmaker of early 1800s London, J.T. Barber made crisp, ink-on-paper portraits and scenes meant to be slipped into albums or framed on a parlor wall. The only title we have is *H Beard Print Collection (4th June…
