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 captures a 1874 stage scene from *John Bull*. It shows three actors in roles: Charles Mathews as Tom Shuffleton, John L. Toole as Dennis Brulgruddery, and Samuel Phelps as Job Thornberry.
It’s a press cutting from *The Graphic* magazine. The print mixes Impressionism and Realism, two styles that often blurred in that era.
Check out prints by *The Graphic* next.
Overview
The image is a printed illustration taken from the 1874 issue of *The Graphic* newspaper. It reproduces a theatrical moment from the popular Victorian play *John Bull*, portraying three leading performers in their respective roles.
Subject & Meaning
The scene features Charles Mathews as the comic character Tom Shuffleton, John L. Toole embodying the scheming Dennis Brulgruddery, and Samuel Phelps as the dignified Job Thornberry. The composition records the actors’ costumes and gestures, offering a visual record of 19th‑century stagecraft and characterisation.
Technique & Style
Executed as a wood‑engraved or steel‑engraved print, the image combines the detailed observation typical of Realism with a looser handling of line that hints at contemporary Impressionist influences. The balance of precise figure work and atmospheric shading reflects the hybrid aesthetic common in period newspaper illustration.
History & Provenance
Originally published as a press cutting in *The Graphic*—a leading illustrated weekly of the era—the print circulated among readers as a visual supplement to theatrical reviews. Its survival as a separate print indicates it was likely collected or reprinted for private or archival purposes.
Context
*John Bull* was a widely performed melodrama in the 1870s, and the three actors depicted were among the most celebrated stage personalities of their day. Their inclusion in *The Graphic* underscores the newspaper’s role in documenting popular culture and the public’s appetite for theatrical news.
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…
