Artwork
H Beard Print Collection
H Beard Print Collection is a print by the Romanticist artist Nake. It dates from 28 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. The work is a printed image dating from 1824, issued by the publisher W.
About this work
Overview
The work is a printed image dating from 1824, issued by the publisher W. West. It portrays the actor Edmund Kean in his celebrated portrayal of Shakespeare’s Richard III, and includes the line “Perdition catch thy arm: the chance is thine” beneath the figure. The print is catalogued as number 74 within an otherwise unidentified series.
Subject & Meaning
The composition focuses on Kean’s embodiment of the villainous monarch, emphasizing the dramatic intensity of the role. The quoted Shakespearean line, spoken by Richard in Act III, underscores the character’s fatalistic resolve and reinforces the theatrical context of the image.
Technique & Style
Executed as a print, the image relies on line work and shading typical of early‑19th‑century engraving or lithography. The rendering captures Kean’s facial expression and costume details, employing contrast to highlight the actor’s commanding presence against a relatively plain background.
History & Provenance
Published in London by W. West in 1824, the print was likely intended for a theatrical audience familiar with Kean’s performances. Its placement as number 74 suggests it formed part of a larger collection of portrait prints, though the series itself remains unidentified.
Artist & collection
Artist
You’d have to ask him about the beard. German artist Frieder Nake started writing computer programs to plot abstract shapes in the 1960s—long before “digital art” had a label—because he liked the way machines drew lines…
