Artwork
H Beard Print Collection
H Beard Print Collection is a print by J. Johnson. It dates from 1650 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. The work is a printed portrait of John Robinson, identified as an organist by profession.
About this work
This print shows a man named Mr. John Robinson. He played the organ for a living. The artist is J. Johnson, and the work is from a long stretch of time, roughly the 17th to 19th century.
It’s a portrait done as a print, not a painting. The Victoria and Albert Museum keeps it in London. That’s where you’ll find it today.
Check out another print by the same artist, Johnson, J.
Overview
The work is a printed portrait of John Robinson, identified as an organist by profession. Executed by the printmaker J. Johnson, the image presents Robinson in a formal pose typical of portraiture. The piece belongs to the Victoria and Albert Museum’s collection in London, where it is currently displayed.
Subject & Meaning
John Robinson is depicted as a mature gentleman, likely in his professional attire, emphasizing his role as a church or concert organist. The portrait serves both as a personal likeness and as a record of a musician’s status within his community during the period.
Technique & Style
Created as a print rather than a painted canvas, the image employs line work and tonal shading characteristic of the era’s engraving or etching methods. The style reflects the restrained realism common to portrait prints from the late 17th through the 19th centuries, focusing on clear facial features and modest background detail.
History & Provenance
The exact date of production is not specified, but the work falls within a broad timeframe spanning the 1600s to the 1800s, a period when printed portraiture was widely used for documentation. It entered the Victoria and Albert Museum’s holdings at an unspecified date and remains part of its printed art collection.
Context
Print portraits like this one were often commissioned to commemorate individuals of local importance, such as clergy or musicians. As an organist, Robinson would have held a respected position within ecclesiastical and civic life, making a printed likeness a suitable means of preserving his image.
Artist & collection
Artist
Johnson is one of the most widely distributed surnames in the English-speaking world. Following is a list of notable people and fictional characters with the surname Johnson:
