Artwork
H Beard Print Collection
H Beard Print Collection is a print by the Impressionist artist Thomas PRA Lawrence. It dates from 1890 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. This work is a photogravure reproduction of a portrait of actress Frances Anne "Fanny" Kemble (1809–1893).
About this work
This print copies a portrait by Sir Thomas Lawrence, a British painter known for elegant portraits.
This print copies a portrait by Sir Thomas Lawrence, a British painter known for elegant portraits. The original drawing was made around 1815 for Fanny Kemble, an actress from a famous acting family.
The print was made later, around 1890, using a photo-gravure process by George Meisenbach. That’s a way to turn photos into prints using ink and plates.
See more work by Thomas Lawrence at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Overview
This work is a photogravure reproduction of a portrait of actress Frances Anne "Fanny" Kemble (1809–1893). The original drawing was executed by Sir Thomas Lawrence, a leading British portraitist, and the print was produced circa 1890 by the photographer‑printmaker George Meisenbach using the photo‑gravure technique.
Subject & Meaning
Fanny Kemble, the eldest daughter of actor Charles Kemble and niece of celebrated performers Sarah Siddons and John Philip Kemble, is depicted after her acclaimed 1829 performance as Juliet at Covent Garden. The portrait captures her status as a rising star within a prominent theatrical dynasty before her retirement upon marriage in 1834.
Technique & Style
Lawrence’s original drawing reflects his characteristic elegance and refined handling of line, typical of his late‑career portraiture. Meisenbach’s later photogravure translates the drawing into an ink‑based print, employing a copper plate etched from a photographic negative to reproduce tonal gradations with fine detail.
History & Provenance
Lawrence created the portrait in 1831, shortly after Kemble’s celebrated Juliet role. The drawing was later reproduced by Meisenbach in the 1890s, a period when photographic reproduction of historic artworks was common. The print now forms part of the H Beard Print Collection, documenting the intersection of 19th‑century portraiture and early photographic printing.
Context
The portrait links two artistic families: Lawrence, who had known the Kemble circle through Sarah Siddons, and the Kemble theatrical lineage, which dominated British stage life in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The work illustrates the era’s practice of commemorating theatrical success through formal portraiture.
Artist & collection
Artist
Thomas PRA Lawrence made prints and oil portraits in late 18th- and early 19th-century Britain.
