Artwork
H Beard Print Collection
H Beard Print Collection is a print by the Romanticist artist Robert Cooper. It dates from 1822 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. This copper engraving depicts Monsieur Le Blond, a dancer at London’s King’s Theatre, captured mid-performance.
About this work
Overview
This copper engraving depicts Monsieur Le Blond, a dancer at London’s King’s Theatre, captured mid-performance.
This copper engraving depicts Monsieur Le Blond, a dancer at London’s King’s Theatre, captured mid-performance. The image, published in 1822 by H. Berthoud Junior, is part of the Harry Beard Print Collection. It records a specific moment in theatrical history, illustrating the costume and posture of a male dancer during the early 19th century, long after the theatre’s 1714 renaming from the Queen’s Theatre.
Subject & Meaning
Monsieur Le Blond is portrayed as a professional dancer, his pose suggesting motion and grace. His attire—tight breeches gartered at the knee, a loose shirt, dark waistcoat, and loosely tied neckerchief—reflects the practical yet stylized dress of ballet performers of the era. The image serves as a documentary record of stage costume, emphasizing the dancer’s physicality and the theatre’s emphasis on movement over elaborate ornamentation.
Technique & Style
The print is a finely detailed copper engraving, likely executed with fine lines to render texture and form. While not explicitly using chiaroscuro, the work relies on controlled hatching to suggest volume and shadow, particularly in the folds of fabric and the contours of the body. The precision of the lines highlights the tailored fit of the breeches and the looseness of the shirt, characteristic of 19th-century printmaking’s focus on anatomical accuracy.
History & Provenance
The print originates from the Harry Beard Collection, a significant archive of theatrical imagery. It was published on 19 July 1822 by H. Berthoud Junior, who specialized in theatrical portraits. The King’s Theatre, where Le Blond performed, had been renamed in 1714 following George I’s accession and later became Her Majesty’s Theatre under Queen Elizabeth II. This print preserves a visual link to the theatre’s operatic and ballet traditions.
Context
In the early 1800s, London’s King’s Theatre was a hub for Italian opera and French ballet, attracting elite audiences and foreign performers. Le Blond, though not widely documented, represented the class of professional dancers who brought continental styles to British stages. His costume, blending functionality with theatricality, reflects the era’s transition from courtly spectacle to more naturalistic stage movement.
Legacy
This engraving contributes to the historical record of British theatre costume and performance practice. As part of the Beard Collection, it aids scholars in understanding how dancers were visually represented in print culture. Though not widely known today, such images preserved the ephemeral nature of live performance, offering later generations insight into the aesthetics and discipline of 19th-century ballet.
Artist & collection
