Artwork
H Beard Print Collection
H Beard Print Collection is a print by W.M. Pether. It dates from 1750 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. The work is a head‑and‑torso portrait of a woman identified as Mrs.
About this work
Overview
The work is a head‑and‑torso portrait of a woman identified as Mrs. Bates, executed as a print roughly two centuries old. It presents a single figure against a relatively plain background, focusing attention on her facial features and upper clothing.
Subject & Meaning
The image captures Mrs. Bates in a formal pose typical of portraiture intended to convey status and personal identity. By isolating her head and shoulders, the composition emphasizes her likeness, serving as a visual record of an individual before the advent of photographic technology.
Technique & Style
Created by the hand of engraver William Pether, the print was produced through a pressed‑plate method, likely intaglio, where a design incised in metal was inked and then transferred onto paper. The chiaroscuro treatment, evident in the contrast of light and shadow, adds depth to the figure and reflects the period’s interest in tonal variation.
History & Provenance
Printed around the early 1800s, the work exemplifies how portraiture was disseminated in the pre‑photographic era. Such prints were commonly reproduced by carving the image into metal or wood, inking the matrix, and pressing it onto paper, allowing multiple copies to circulate among acquaintances or patrons.
Context
The portrait belongs to a broader tradition of British printmaking in which artists like Pether supplied affordable likenesses to a growing middle class. These images functioned as personal mementos and as a means of social display, bridging the gap between painted portraiture and later photographic portraiture.
Artist & collection
Artist
This guy moonlighted as a tax man before moonlighting as an artist—imagine filling out forms by day and drawing candlelit still lifes by night.
