Artwork
H Beard Print Collection
H Beard Print Collection is a print by the Romanticist artist Wise. It dates from 11 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. The work is a dual‑image print created in 1813 that presents Goodman's Fields Theatre, located on Ayliffe Street in London.
About this work
This print shows two views of Goodman's Fields Theatre. One is the outside, one is a map of the building and its streets. Made in 1813, it's a print by an artist named Wise.
Romanticism loved dramatic views and details. This one pairs a real theater with a street map. The theater stood in Ayliffe Street, London.
Check out the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Overview
The work is a dual‑image print created in 1813 that presents Goodman's Fields Theatre, located on Ayliffe Street in London. One plate renders a frontal view of the theatre’s façade, while the second offers a plan‑like map showing the building’s footprint and adjacent streets. Both images are combined in a single sheet, providing a visual record of the venue’s architecture and urban setting.
Subject & Meaning
The print documents the physical appearance of Goodman's Fields Theatre, a notable early‑19th‑century performance space, and situates it within its immediate neighbourhood. By juxtaposing an exterior illustration with a schematic map, the artist supplies both an aesthetic impression and a practical reference, reflecting contemporary interest in detailed urban documentation.
Technique & Style
Executed as a printed engraving, the image employs line work to delineate architectural features and street layouts. The artist, identified only as Wise, utilizes a clear, measured hand typical of early 19th‑century topographical prints, balancing decorative rendering of the façade with the precise, diagrammatic quality of the map.
History & Provenance
The print was issued by the London publisher Robert Wilkinson in 1813, a period when printed cityscapes were popular among both residents and visitors. It has since entered the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, where it is catalogued as part of the H Beard Print Collection.
Context
Goodman's Fields Theatre operated in the early 1800s before its demolition in the mid‑19th century. Prints such as this served both as promotional material and as records of London’s rapidly changing built environment, aligning with the broader Romantic-era fascination with detailed, dramatic portrayals of urban life.
Artist & collection
Artist
This printmaker had a habit of signing work “Wise” and nothing else, as if the name were enough.
