Artwork
H Beard Print Collection
H Beard Print Collection is a print by J. Hutchisson. It dates from 1850 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. The work is a printed portrait depicting Miss Somerville, later known as Mrs.
About this work
Overview
The work is a printed portrait depicting Miss Somerville, later known as Mrs. Bunn, in costume as Queen Elizabeth. It was created for a stage production of Kenilworth by the theatrical partnership of Dibdin and Bunn, and circulated as a souvenir of the performance.
Subject & Meaning
The image presents the actress assuming the regal bearing of the Tudor monarch, reflecting the 19th‑century fascination with historical drama and the practice of commemorating theatrical roles through printed likenesses.
Technique & Style
Executed as a hand‑colored print, the piece bears the imprint of J. Hutchisson Junior, a London engraver active in the early‑to‑mid‑1800s. The composition follows the conventions of portraiture of the period, emphasizing costume detail and facial expression within a relatively flat pictorial space.
History & Provenance
The print was issued by the London firm Rowney & Forster, a well‑known publisher of theatrical prints. It was distributed contemporaneously with the Kenilworth production, serving both as promotional material and as a collectible for theatre audiences.
Context
Kenilworth was a popular melodrama of the early 19th century, drawing on Sir Walter Scott’s novel and the Elizabethan era for its setting. The portrayal of Miss Somerville as the queen aligns with the period’s trend of dramatizing historic figures to appeal to Victorian tastes for romance and national heritage.
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Artist & collection
Artist
J. Hutchisson turns faces into maps, every wrinkle, every mole, a landmark. He drew printers' hands ink-stained as calligraphy, fingers smudged with the day's work. That's why he's here: his prints feel warm, like…
