Artwork
H Beard Print Collection
H Beard Print Collection is a print by the Romanticist artist William Hogarth. It dates from 1 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. This print illustrates a moment from Act III of *The Beggar’s Opera*, a widely performed play first staged in 1728.
About this work
You see a print of a stage scene from *The Beggar’s Opera*. A man in a coat holds a hat. Other figures stand around a table. The print has a rough, sketchy look.
This is one of 12 prints made from Hogarth’s original paintings. They show scenes from a popular 1728 play. The image was later turned into a print by J. & J. Boydell.
Check out Hogarth, William next.
Overview
This print illustrates a moment from Act III of *The Beggar’s Opera*, a widely performed play first staged in 1728. The image captures a stage tableau in which a man in a coat grasps a hat while other figures gather around a table, rendered with a loose, sketch‑like quality.
Subject & Meaning
The scene portrays a typical episode from the opera’s satirical depiction of criminal and lower‑class life, emphasizing the theatricality of the characters’ interactions and the social commentary embedded in the original drama.
Technique & Style
Derived from one of William Hogarth’s painted designs, the print reproduces the composition with a rough, gestural line that suggests the immediacy of a stage performance. The work was transferred to print by the London firm J. & J. Boydell, preserving the original’s dynamic brushwork in a monochrome medium.
History & Provenance
The image belongs to a series of twelve prints based on Hogarth’s original paintings, each depicting a different scene from the popular 1728 production. The series was issued by the Boydell brothers, notable London publishers of the eighteenth century, who specialized in reproducing contemporary artworks for a broader audience.
Context
*The Beggar’s Opera* was a cultural phenomenon that blended music, drama, and social satire, influencing both theatrical practice and visual culture. Hogarth’s involvement linked his reputation for moral commentary with the play’s critique of corruption, while the Boydell prints helped disseminate these ideas beyond the theatre.
Artist & collection
Artist
William Hogarth (; 10 November 1697 – 26 October 1764) was an English painter, engraver, satirist, cartoonist and writer.
