Artwork
H Beard Print Collection
H Beard Print Collection is a print by the Romanticist artist Folly. It dates from 29 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. The work is a coloured etched print titled *The Platonic Lovers*, produced in London and dated 29 March 1784.
About this work
This print from 1784 shows an odd little scene. Two women sit under green boxes while a man named Lord Doodle looks on. It’s a colored etching meant to make you smile.
The title calls them “Platonic Lovers,” but the joke feels more cheeky than deep. Printed in London, it pokes fun at society’s rules.
Next look up the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Overview
The work is a coloured etched print titled *The Platonic Lovers*, produced in London and dated 29 March 1784.
The work is a coloured etched print titled *The Platonic Lovers*, produced in London and dated 29 March 1784. It depicts a small, staged tableau in which two women are seated beneath green-painted boxes while a gentleman, identified as Lord Doodle, observes them, with a third figure, the mother of Miss Tittup, positioned at a modest distance. The image is intended as a light‑hearted, satirical commentary on contemporary social conventions.
Subject & Meaning
The composition presents a playful narrative: the two women, one named Miss Tittup, are framed by the green boxes, suggesting a private or intimate space, while Lord Doodle’s gaze implies a flirtatious or voyeuristic interest. The inclusion of Miss Tittup’s mother, set apart, reinforces the notion of a socially sanctioned yet humorously exaggerated courtship, underscoring the title’s ironic reference to ‘platonic’ affection.
Technique & Style
Executed as a coloured etching, the print combines line work typical of copperplate engraving with hand‑applied pigments to achieve its vivid hues. The green boxes serve both as decorative elements and as a visual device to compartmentalise the scene. The style reflects late‑eighteenth‑century British printmaking, characterized by clear outlines, modest shading, and a focus on narrative clarity.
History & Provenance
The print was issued by the London publisher J. Cattermoul on the specified date in 1784. It later entered the Harry Beard Collection, a private assemblage of eighteenth‑century prints, where it has been documented as part of that holdings. No further ownership changes are recorded in the available sources.
Context
Produced during a period when caricature and social satire flourished in British print culture, the image aligns with contemporary works that lampooned aristocratic manners and courtship rituals. The use of a mock‑noble figure such as Lord Doodle reflects a broader trend of employing fictitious titles to critique the pretensions of the upper classes.
Artist & collection
Artist
Folly made prints in late 18th-century London. One of their known images is H Beard Print Collection (29th March 1784), a satirical print showing public life in the city. The scene captures street crowds and shop signs…
