Artwork
H Beard Print Collection
H Beard Print Collection is a print by the Romanticist artist J. Kitchingman. It dates from 31 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. This 1787 stipple print depicts the actress Mary Ann Yates in her celebrated role as Alicia from the tragedy Jane Shore.
About this work
Overview
This 1787 stipple print depicts the actress Mary Ann Yates in her celebrated role as Alicia from the tragedy Jane Shore. Produced in London and dated 31 August 1787, the image serves as a visual record of Yates’s stage persona during the late eighteenth‑century theatrical scene.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait captures Yates embodying Alicia, a character known for her moral complexity and emotional depth within Nicholas Rowe’s play. By presenting the actress in costume, the print highlights the contemporary fascination with theatrical performance and the public’s desire to commemorate notable interpretations of dramatic roles.
Technique & Style
Executed in stipple, the print relies on a series of fine dots to render tonal variation, a method popular for its ability to suggest softness and subtle shading. This approach yields a delicate rendering of facial features and fabric, aligning with the genteel aesthetic of late‑Georgian portraiture.
History & Provenance
First issued in London on 31 August 1787, the print entered the Harry Beard Collection, a private assemblage of eighteenth‑century prints. Its survival within this collection provides insight into the circulation of theatrical portraiture and the collecting habits of the period.
Artist & collection
Artist
J.K. (we’re not sure what the J stands for) spent his days carving small, nimble prints that look like they popped off a crowded London street. One afternoon in 1787 he etched a single sheet so full of wigs,…
