Artwork
H Beard Print Collection
H Beard Print Collection is a print by the Romanticist artist Charles Williams. It dates from 30 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. The work is a printed caricature dated 1806, issued in London by the publisher S.
About this work
This print shows a scene from a play written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. It’s a political cartoon made in 1806, when prints often poked fun at famous figures.
The print is titled The School for Scandal and features Sheridan with another man named Lord Percy. It was published in London by S. W. Fores.
Look up the Victoria and Albert Museum to see more.
Overview
The work is a printed caricature dated 1806, issued in London by the publisher S. W. Fores. It bears the title The School for Scandal and presents two recognizable figures: the playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan and the aristocrat Lord Percy. The image functions as a satirical commentary typical of early‑nineteenth‑century political cartoons.
Subject & Meaning
The composition references Sheridan’s well‑known comedy The School for Scandal, using its title as a vehicle for contemporary critique. By placing Sheridan alongside Lord Percy, the print suggests a parallel between theatrical gossip and the public conduct of political elites, inviting viewers to question the propriety of those in power.
Technique & Style
Executed as a single‑color print, the image relies on line work and hatching to delineate facial features and clothing details. The stylized exaggeration of the subjects’ expressions aligns with the conventions of caricature, emphasizing recognizable traits for immediate visual impact.
History & Provenance
Printed in London during a period when satirical prints circulated widely, the piece was distributed by S. W. Fores, a prominent publisher of political and theatrical ephemera. Its survival in museum collections reflects the enduring interest in early nineteenth‑century visual commentary on public life.
Artist & collection
Artist
English printmaker active around 1806–1812, Charles Williams produced small satirical prints issued monthly by Hannah Beard in London.
