Artwork
H Beard Print Collection
H Beard Print Collection is a print by the Romanticist artist Matthew William Peters. It dates from 13 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. This print depicts Anne Brown in the role of Clara from Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s 1775 comedy The Duenna.
About this work
Overview
This print depicts Anne Brown in the role of Clara from Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s 1775 comedy The Duenna. Executed as a single‑sheet image, it was produced for distribution in the late eighteenth century and bears the imprint of the London publisher J. Walker.
Subject & Meaning
The composition captures the actress in costume, embodying Clara’s youthful charm and wit as portrayed in Sheridan’s play. By presenting a theatrical portrait, the print served both as a visual record of a popular performance and as a means of promoting the actress’s public persona.
History & Provenance
Issued in London, the print was printed and sold by the firm of J. Walker, a known publisher of theatrical images during the period. Copies would have circulated among theatre‑goers and collectors, reflecting the era’s growing market for celebrity portraiture.
Artist & collection
Artist
Matthew William Peters was an English portrait and genre painter who later became an Anglican clergyman and chaplain to George IV. He became known as "William" when he started signing his works as "W. Peters".
