Who painted H Beard Print Collection?

H Beard Print Collection was painted by Godfrey Kneller.

Where can I see H Beard Print Collection?

H Beard Print Collection is held by Victoria and Albert Museum.

What movement is H Beard Print Collection?

H Beard Print Collection is associated with Baroque.

Artwork

H Beard Print Collection

Godfrey Kneller

H Beard Print Collection is a print by the Baroque artist Godfrey Kneller. It is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

About this work

The H Beard Print Collection is a print made by Godfrey Kneller in 1749.
It's a portrait of Mrs Knight as Sancta Maria Magdalena.
This portrait is interesting because it shows how artists used religious themes in their work, and it was sold by a publisher named J. Boydell.
You can learn more about this style by looking at the movement: Baroque.

Overview

The work is a 1749 print produced by the English portraitist Godfrey Kneller. It depicts a woman identified as Mrs Knight, rendered in the guise of the biblical figure Saint Mary Magdalene. The image belongs to the Baroque tradition, employing dramatic composition and symbolic attire to convey its subject’s dual identity.

Subject & Meaning

In the print, Mrs Knight is presented as Sancta Maria Magdalena, a common allegorical device in the eighteenth century that linked contemporary portraiture with religious iconography. By adopting the attributes of Mary Magdalene—typically a veil, a jar of ointment, and a contemplative pose—the work suggests themes of repentance, devotion, and moral virtue applied to a private sitter.

Technique & Style

Kneller’s print translates his painterly approach into the graphic medium, using fine line work and chiaroscuro shading characteristic of Baroque aesthetics. The rendering emphasizes contrast between light and shadow to model the figure’s features, while the ornamental details of costume and accessories echo the opulent visual language of the period.

History & Provenance

The print entered the market through the London publisher J. Boydell, a notable dealer of prints and engravings in the mid‑eighteenth century. Boydell’s involvement indicates the work’s circulation among collectors interested in both portraiture and religiously themed imagery, reflecting contemporary tastes for hybrid devotional portraits.

Artist & collection

Artist

Godfrey Kneller

Sir Godfrey Kneller, 1st Baronet was a German-born British painter. The leading portraitist in England during the late Stuart and early Georgian eras, he served as court painter to successive English and British…