Artwork
H Beard Print Collection
H Beard Print Collection is a print by the Romanticist artist Ritcher. It dates from 1848 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
It's a lithographed print, which is a technique used to create multiple copies of an image.
The H Beard Print Collection is a print made by Ritcher in 1848.
It's a lithographed print, which is a technique used to create multiple copies of an image.
The print is part of the Victoria and Albert Museum's collection, and it's interesting because it's a portrait of Bertha Wurst with a facsimile signature, giving us a glimpse into the past.
You can learn more about this style by looking into the movement: Romanticism.
Overview
This 1848 lithograph presents a portrait of Bertha Wurst, reproduced using the lithographic process that allows multiple copies to be printed from a single stone. The work bears a facsimile of the artist’s signature and is catalogued within the Harry Beard Print Collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Subject & Meaning
The image focuses on the sitter, Bertha Wurst, rendered in a straightforward, mid‑19th‑century portrait style. While no explicit narrative accompanies the piece, the inclusion of a reproduced signature suggests an intent to authenticate the work for collectors and viewers of the period.
Technique & Style
Lithography, the chosen medium, involves drawing directly onto a limestone surface with a greasy medium, then treating the stone so that ink adheres only to the drawn areas. The resulting print reflects the Romantic era’s interest in detailed, individualized portraiture, though the work itself remains a conventional representation rather than an overtly expressive piece.
History & Provenance
Created by the lithographer Ritcher in 1848, the print entered the Harry Beard Print Collection, a private assemblage later acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum. Its documented provenance traces directly from the artist’s studio to the museum’s holdings, providing a clear chain of custody.
Artist & collection
Artist
These prints by an artist named Ritcher show careful copies of another artist’s drawings, dated around 1848.
