Artwork
H Beard Print Collection
H Beard Print Collection is a print by the Romanticist artist John Cawthorn. It dates from 10 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
You can learn more about this style by looking at the movement: Romanticism.
This print is a portrait of Mr Cooke as Sir Pertinax Macsycophant.
It was created by John Cawthorn in 1808.
The print is part of the Harry Beard Collection and is held at the Victoria and Albert Museum, which also tells us about the subject's elaborate clothing, including a jacket with braid and decorative buttons.
The museum's collection includes many other prints like this one.
You can learn more about this style by looking at the movement: Romanticism.
Overview
John Cawthorn’s 1808 stipple etching presents Mr. Cooke in the guise of Sir Pertinax Macsycophant. Executed as a full‑length portrait, the print captures the figure in elaborate dress, holding the pommel of a slender sword. The work belongs to the Harry Beard Print Collection and is currently housed in the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Subject & Meaning
The image depicts Mr. Cooke adopting the fictional title of Sir Pertinax Macsycophant, a satirical character that suggests a commentary on social pretension. The dignified pose, with the sword’s pommel gripped in the left hand, reinforces a mock‑heroic stance, inviting viewers to consider the interplay between identity and performance.
Technique & Style
Created using stipple engraving, the print achieves tonal variation through fine dots rather than line work, lending a soft, atmospheric quality typical of early nineteenth‑century portraiture. The detailed rendering of the braid‑embroidered jacket, decorative buttons, and fitted breeches demonstrates Cawthorn’s skill in capturing texture within the medium.
History & Provenance
The etching entered the Harry Beard Print Collection, a private assemblage of early nineteenth‑century prints, before being acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum. Its provenance traces a path from Cawthorn’s workshop to the museum’s holdings, where it is catalogued among other Romantic‑era works.
Context
Produced during the Romantic period, the portrait reflects contemporary tastes for elaborate costume and theatrical personae. Such prints often served both as decorative objects and as visual commentaries on the era’s fascination with aristocratic affectation and the burgeoning culture of caricature.
Artist & collection
Artist
John Cawthorn made prints in early-1800s Britain, turning current events into single-sheet images for quick sale and view.
