B. R.

This 19th-century printmaker carved everyday scenes into woodblocks, leaving us small, crisp images that look like crisp cartoons. One of their few known works in our collection is H Beard Print Collection, a set of humorous scenes that could hang in a tavern or a doctor’s waiting room. Pick any print from the set and you’ll see sharp outlines, flat colors, and a quick joke, no deeper symbolism, just a snapshot of life then.