Artwork
H Beard Print Collection
H Beard Print Collection is a print by the Romanticist artist Robert Wilkinson. It dates from 4 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Robert Wilkinson made it in 1814 but based the views on older drawings from 1792 and before 1765.
This print shows Sadler’s Wells theatre as it changed over time. Robert Wilkinson made it in 1814 but based the views on older drawings from 1792 and before 1765. One image shows the southwest side, the other shows the theatre in its earlier shape.
Wilkinson published these two views in London. He reused prints from earlier decades and turned them into new plates.
Look up the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Overview
This 1814 print collection by Robert Wilkinson presents two contrasting views of Sadler's Wells theatre, illustrating its transformation over time.
Subject & Meaning
The subject is Sadler's Wells theatre, depicted in two states: its southwest aspect circa 1792 (from R.C. Andrews' drawing) and an earlier, pre-1765 configuration, highlighting architectural changes.
Technique & Style
Wilkinson reworked older drawings into new plates, combining historical representations in a single publication, reflecting a practice of repurposing existing artwork for contemporary prints.
History & Provenance
Published in London in 1814 by Robert Wilkinson, the collection draws on sources from 1792 (R.C. Andrews) and pre-1765, indicating a compilation of archival and somewhat recent views.
Context
Similar archival and publication practices were common among London publishers like Wilkinson, who often updated and reissued historical views to cater to nostalgic or historically inclined audiences, as seen in collections held by institutions like the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Legacy
The print serves as a historical record of Sadler's Wells' evolution, valuable for architectural and theatrical historians, and is likely held in collections like the Victoria and Albert Museum, which preserves such prints for research and exhibition.
Artist & collection
Artist
Robert Wilkinson made crisp, finely detailed prints of London life in the early 1800s.
