Artwork
H Beard Print Collection
H Beard Print Collection is a print by the Romanticist artist Thomas Charles Wageman. It dates from 1823 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. A lithographic print captures Margaret Agnes Bunn in the role of Hermione from Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale.
About this work
Overview
A lithographic print captures Margaret Agnes Bunn in the role of Hermione from Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale. Produced by Simpkin & Marshall, it was distributed as a theatrical portrait, common in the mid-19th century to commemorate stage performances. The image preserves a moment from live theater, translating performance into a reproducible format for public consumption.
Subject & Meaning
Bunn portrays Hermione, the wronged queen whose apparent death and miraculous return drive the play’s emotional arc.
Bunn portrays Hermione, the wronged queen whose apparent death and miraculous return drive the play’s emotional arc. The print emphasizes her dignity and stillness, aligning with Victorian ideals of female virtue and suffering. As a visual record of her interpretation, it reflects how audiences of the time understood Hermione’s character—not as a mythic figure, but as a relatable, morally resolute woman.
Technique & Style
The print is a lithograph, a method allowing fine detail and tonal gradation suitable for portraiture. Lines are clean, shading subtle, and composition centered to focus on Bunn’s face and posture. Costume and backdrop are simplified, prioritizing the actor’s expression over theatrical scenery. The style reflects commercial printing standards of the era, balancing artistic intent with mass production.
History & Provenance
Produced by Simpkin & Marshall, a prominent London publisher of theatrical prints, the image likely circulated between 1840 and 1860. Bunn, a leading actress at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, was frequently depicted in such prints. This example survives as part of the H. Beard Collection, a curated archive of 19th-century theatrical imagery assembled by a noted collector and illustrator.
Context
During the Victorian period, printed portraits of stage actors served as both souvenirs and cultural artifacts. Theatrical prints like this one helped bridge the gap between live performance and domestic culture, allowing middle-class audiences to engage with drama beyond the theater. Hermione’s popularity on stage made her a frequent subject, reflecting broader fascination with Shakespearean heroines as moral exemplars.
Legacy
The print remains a documented artifact of 19th-century theatrical practice, offering insight into how actors were visually represented and remembered. Though Bunn’s performances are no longer witnessed, such images preserve the physicality and presence she brought to the role. It contributes to ongoing scholarship on performance history and the material culture of theater.
Artist & collection
Artist
Thomas Charles Wageman (1787 – 20 June 1863) was a British painter, engraver and writer.
