Artwork
H Beard Print Collection
H Beard Print Collection is a print by the Romanticist artist James Gillray. It dates from 4 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. The work is a full‑length print depicting a male figure in period costume, surrounded by piles of gold coins.
About this work
Here’s a plain-English rewrite with a clear door: You see a full-length print of a man in old clothes counting piles of gold coins.
Here’s a plain-English rewrite with a clear door:
You see a full-length print of a man in old clothes counting piles of gold coins. He’s dressed like a Spanish conqueror. The print has bold lines and flat colors.
This is a political joke from 1799. It pokes fun at a British politician by turning him into Francisco Pizarro, the greedy Spanish invader. The artist used sharp lines to make the joke even clearer.
If this style grabs you, look up Gillray, James.
Overview
The work is a full‑length print depicting a male figure in period costume, surrounded by piles of gold coins. The composition is rendered with bold outlines and flat areas of colour, emphasizing the satirical nature of the image. The piece is catalogued under the title ‘Pizzarro contemplating over the product of his new Peruvian mine.’
Subject & Meaning
The figure is a caricature of the British politician Richard Brinsley Sheridan, transformed into the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro. By presenting Sheridan as a greedy conqueror counting his loot, the print lampoons his perceived avarice and political ambitions in a sharply humorous manner.
Technique & Style
Executed in print, the image relies on strong, decisive lines and a limited palette of flat tones, a common approach in late‑eighteenth‑century satirical prints. The clear, exaggerated contours serve to heighten the comedic effect and make the identification of the subject immediate.
History & Provenance
Created in 1799, the print belongs to a period of vigorous political commentary in British visual culture. It forms part of the H Beard Print Collection, a repository that gathers works of this genre for study and exhibition.
Context
The late 1790s saw heightened public interest in colonial exploits and domestic politics. By invoking Pizarro—a symbol of ruthless conquest—the artist linked contemporary British political figures to broader themes of imperial greed, reflecting the era’s satirical discourse.
Artist & collection
Artist
James Gillray (13 August 1756 – 1 June 1815) was an English caricaturist and printmaker famous for his etched political and social satires, mainly published between 1792 and 1810.
