Artwork
H Beard Print Collection
H Beard Print Collection is a print by the Romanticist artist Edmond Thomas Parris. It dates from 1836 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
This print, part of the H Beard Print Collection, presents a scene titled “The Dance of the Bulgarian Peasants.” Executed in the print medium, the work captures a folkloric moment of communal celebration, rendered in a format suitable for reproduction and distribution.
Subject & Meaning
The composition illustrates a traditional Bulgarian folk dance, emphasizing the rhythmic movement and costume of rural participants. By focusing on collective activity, the image conveys themes of cultural identity, communal solidarity, and the vitality of agrarian life in Bulgaria.
Technique & Style
Created as a print, the work relies on line work and tonal contrast to delineate figures and surrounding space. The stylistic approach balances detailed representation of costume and gesture with a simplified background, typical of 19th‑century illustrative prints intended for broader audiences.
History & Provenance
The print was issued in London by the publisher R. Bowyer, a firm known for producing illustrated sheets and ephemera during the period. Its appearance in a British market reflects contemporary European interest in ethnographic subjects and the circulation of exotic cultural imagery.
Artist & collection
Artist
Edmond Thomas Parris made detailed prints and watercolors in early-19th-century London.
