Artwork
H Beard Print Collection
H Beard Print Collection is a print by the Romanticist artist Isaac Robert Cruikshank. It dates from 30 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. The print titled “Is This a Rattle Which I See Before Me?
About this work
This print mocks actor John Philip Kemble’s star turn in Macbeth. The paper shows him as the doomed king with a speech twisted into a joke.
It came out in 1809, right after angry crowds stormed London’s new Covent Garden. Kemble had raised ticket prices after a fire, sparking protests called the Old Price Riots.
Look up the artist Cruikshank, Isaac Robert.
Overview
The print titled “Is This a Rattle Which I See Before Me?” is a satirical engraving issued in 1809 by the London publisher S.W. Fores. It caricatures the actor‑manager John Philip Kemble in his role as Macbeth, juxtaposing a distorted version of the famous soliloquy beneath the image. The work is a single‑sheet print, typical of early‑nineteenth‑century political and theatrical satire.
Subject & Meaning
In the image Kemble’s Macbeth recoils as if confronted by a rattling object, a visual pun on the line “Is this a dagger which I see before me?” The altered speech, rendered as a parody, mocks the actor’s performance and the public’s anger over his decision to raise ticket prices for the newly rebuilt Covent Garden theatre.
Technique & Style
The engraving employs the bold line work and exaggerated facial features characteristic of Isaac Robert Cruikshank’s caricature style. Inked on a single sheet of paper, the print combines a detailed portrait of Kemble with a caption in a hand‑lettered, theatrical font, reinforcing the satirical tone through visual and textual juxtaposition.
History & Provenance
Published shortly after the opening night of the new Covent Garden theatre on 18 September 1809, the print circulated amid the early phase of the Old Price Riots. It was produced by S.W. Fores, a prominent London publisher of pamphlets and prints, and would have been sold as a topical souvenir to an audience familiar with the controversy.
Context
Audiences armed with rattles and other noise‑making devices disrupted performances for three months, eventually forcing a reduction in prices.
The Covent Garden fire of 1808 destroyed the original venue, and the rebuilt theatre reopened with Kemble’s production of Macbeth. To offset reconstruction costs, Kemble increased admission fees, provoking immediate public protest. Audiences armed with rattles and other noise‑making devices disrupted performances for three months, eventually forcing a reduction in prices. The print captures this moment of theatrical and social unrest.
Artist & collection
Artist
Isaac Cruikshank (5 October 1764 – 1811) was a Scottish painter and caricaturist, known for his social and political satire.
