Artwork
H Beard Print Collection
H Beard Print Collection is a print by the Impressionist artist The Graphic. It dates from 4 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
This print shows a big fire in Paris on June 4, 1887. The fire destroyed the Opéra Comique. It was front page news for the weekly paper The Graphic.
The paper used bold pictures to tell stories. People at the time loved this mix of art and news. The Graphic was known for sharp, dramatic prints.
Look up the technique called chiaroscuro next.
Overview
This print is the front page of 'The Graphic' from June 4, 1887, illustrating the destruction of the Opéra Comique in Paris by fire.
Subject & Meaning
The image depicts a dramatic scene of the Opéra Comique engulfed in flames, conveying the intensity of the event that was significant enough to be front-page news.
Technique & Style
The print employs chiaroscuro, a technique using strong contrasts between light and dark, to create a dramatic representation of the fire, characteristic of 'The Graphic's' style of combining art and news.
Context
'The Graphic' was a weekly paper known for its bold and dramatic illustrations, catering to the contemporary taste for a mix of art and news reporting.
Artist & collection
Artist
These prints date from the 1880s and sit in the H Beard Print Collection. Each sheet captures a scene or figure in black ink on paper, typical of late-19th-century graphic work. You’ll find five of them here, dated…
