Artwork
H Beard Print Collection
H Beard Print Collection is a print by the Impressionist artist Illustrated London News. It dates from 1856 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
This print from the Illustrated London News shows Maria Piccolomini in a portrait from around 1856.
This print from the Illustrated London News shows Maria Piccolomini in a portrait from around 1856. It’s a press cutting, not a full painting—just a page from a magazine. The Victoria and Albert Museum keeps it in their print collection now.
It’s a quick snapshot, not a deep study. The note beside it gives her background, but the image itself is small and simple.
Check out more prints by the Illustrated London News.
Overview
This print is part of the H Beard Print Collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum. It is a cutting from the Illustrated London News, featuring a portrait and accompanying biographical note.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait depicts Maria Piccolomini, an opera singer, around 1856. The image is accompanied by a note providing background information on the subject.
Technique & Style
The print is characterized by its simplicity and small scale, suggesting a rapid, journalistic approach rather than a detailed artistic study.
History & Provenance
Originally published in the Illustrated London News, the print was later cut out and preserved, eventually becoming part of the Victoria and Albert Museum's print collection.
Artist & collection
Artist
This weekly paper was London’s town crier with pictures—lurid crime scenes next to royal weddings, all squeezed between ads for corsets and patent medicines.
