Artwork
H Beard Print Collection
H Beard Print Collection is a print by the Impressionist artist Day & Son Vincent Brooks. It dates from 22 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. This colour lithograph, dated 22 August 1885, depicts Corney Grain seated at a piano.
About this work
This print shows a man named Corney Grain sitting at a piano. The work is a colour portrait from a magazine called Vanity Fair. It was made on 22 August 1885.
The image mixes Impressionist and Realist styles. It was printed by Vincent Brooks, Day & Son, a studio known for colour lithographs.
Check out the Victoria and Albert Museum’s print collection.
Overview
This colour lithograph, dated 22 August 1885, depicts Corney Grain seated at a piano. It originally appeared in the periodical Vanity Fair, where such portrait prints were a regular feature. The image is a printed work rather than a hand‑drawn illustration, produced for a wide readership in the late‑Victorian press.
Subject & Meaning
Corney Grain, a figure known in contemporary society, is shown in a relaxed pose at the instrument, suggesting a personal pastime or cultural refinement. The composition emphasizes his demeanor and the domestic setting, offering a glimpse into the leisure activities associated with the upper middle class of the era.
Technique & Style
The print combines elements of Impressionist colour handling with Realist attention to detail, creating a vivid yet accurate representation. Produced by the lithographic firm Vincent Brooks, Day & Son, the work utilizes multi‑colour lithography, a process that allowed for rich tonal variation and precise line work in mass‑produced prints.
History & Provenance
Created for Vanity Fair, the portrait entered the public domain through the magazine’s circulation. The printing house Vincent Brooks, Day & Son, was a leading supplier of colour lithographs to periodicals in the 19th century, ensuring the image’s distribution across Britain and its eventual acquisition by institutions such as the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Artist & collection
Artist
These are 19th-century printed pictures from the H Beard collection, mostly portraits and scenes that look like cartoons.
