The Enlightenment
Overview
William Hogarth
William Hogarth was born in England on November 10, 1697. Even though his father was an unsuccessful schoolmaster and writer, he expressed his moral and satirical ideas on his own engravings since 1710.
The most important work of him is A Rake's Progress (1732-34). It is a series of 8 paintings. In this, he drew a various topics, such as love, violence, and social.
A Rake's Progress
A Rake’s Progress tells the story of the fictional Tom Rakewell in a series of eight paintings.
The painting above is the fourth edition. (1733)
It followed A Harlot's Progress (1730) - another modern moral subject.
"All the world is competent to judge my pictures except those who are of my profession."
"I have generally found that persons who had studied painting least were the best judges of it."
William Hogarth
Explanation of Quote
What did he try to say?
The first quote seems like a judgement of the world because he said that the world can judge his work, but except the person who have a same job as him. Maybe he put his general thoughts of the world in this quotation to express something that couldn't be explain in his engravings and paintings.
The second quote is a praise of painters like him because he said that he realize that person who had studied art are the best judges. If this was correct, the painter would be the most valuable job today, but it is not so, it was just his own egocentric thinking.
How did he contribute to the Enlightenment?
Examples of Art
Until early 1730s, Hogarth had nothing achieved with his work. However, after he had some practice as a painter of portrait groups he made some success with satirical paintings such as The Denunciation and The Christening.
By 'modern moral subjects', he meant pictorial statements of contemporary-life subjects in series such as A Harlot's Progress and A Rake's Progress.
In 1743, he completed more series of 'modern moral subjects', Marriage a-la-mode.
Explanation
His works demonstrated 18th century society in two points.
On one side, his works reflected the civilized world of the country, while his satirical works feature the rough and degraded urban society.
Hogarth was really influenced by the middle class around him, so he concerned with the deterioration of British moral. Therefore, he created ‘modern moral subjects’ and these series expressed and promoted his thinking of the society in dark, humorous and moralistic tone.
Statistics
Hogarth's ambition came from his surroundings such as the middle class and by seeing the late Baroque paintings.
Throughout the 1730s and 1740s, his reputation grew stronger by A Harlot's Progress and A Rake's Progress.
His interest in moral and social reform grew together.
His success came from in using his art to make social and political statements.
Hogarth looked at the world with different eye than ordinary people, and his gaze was drawn morally or humorously on his works.
Images
Four Times of the Day
(Morning)
1736
The Shrimp Girl
1745
Beer Street and Gin Lane
1751
Did you know?
-3 little known facts about William Hogarth-
Childhood
When his father died in 1718, his family supported themselves by going into trade, and his younger sisters prepared a dress shop.
Art Work
William Hogarth created an artistic name for himself with engravings, to address social issues later.
Death
By 1762, he published his final art work, The Times and in the following summer, he became seriously ill and died in London on October 26, 1764, at the age of 67.
Bibliographic Citations
<Works Cited>
”A Rake's Progress." SIR JOHN SOANE’S MUSEUM LONDON. May 20, 2018. https://www.soane.org/collections-research/key-stories/rakes-progress.
Bindman, David. "Hogarth, William (1697–1764)." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. September 23, 2004. May 20, 2018. http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-13464.
Castelow, Ellen. "William Hogarth and 18th century life." HISTORIC UK. May 20, 2018. https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/William-Hogarth-18th-century-life/.
"William Hogarth Biography." The Biography.com Website. May 20, 2018. https://www.biography.com/people/william-hogarth-9341526.
"William Hogarth Facts." YOUR DICTIONARY. May 20, 2018. http://biography.yourdictionary.com/william-hogarth.
"William Hogarth Quotes" BrainyQuote. Accessed May 20, 2018. https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/william_hogarth.
"William Hogarth (1697 - 1764)" THE NATIONAL GALLERY. May 20, 2018. https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/artists/william-hogarth.
"The Painter and his Pug” Tate. May 20, 2018. http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/hogarth-the-painter-and-his-pug-n00112.
Bibliographic Citations
<Pictures Cited>
“A Harlot’s Progress.” The British Museum. May 20, 2018. https://www.britishmuseum.org/collectionimages/AN00337/AN00337090_001_l.jpg?width=304.
“A Rake’s Progress.” SIR JOHN SOANE’S MUSEUM LONDON. May 20, 2018. https://www.soane.org/sites/default/files/styles/gallery/public/gallery/rakes-progress-the-arrest.jpg?itok=Kx0FTEqW.
“Beer Street and Gin Lane.” Artble. May 20, 2018. https://www.artble.com/imgs/a/c/2/733432/beer_street_and_gin_lane_300px.jpg.
History.com Staff. “Enlightenment.” History.com. 2009. May 20, 2018. https://cdn.history.com/sites/2/2014/01/englightenment-hero-H.jpeg.
“Marriage a-la-mode.” Tate. May 20, 2018. http://www.tate.org.uk/sites/default/files/styles/width-1200/public/images/william%20hogarth%20%20marriage%20a-la%20mode:%201.%20the%20marriage%20settlement.jpg.
“Morning: The Four Times of the Day.” THE MET. May 20, 2018. https://images.metmuseum.org/CRDImages/dp/web-large/DP827064.jpg.
“The Painter and his Pug.” Tate. May 20, 2018. http://www.tate.org.uk/art/images/work/N/N00/N00112_10.jpg.
“The Shrimp Girl.” THE NATIONAL GALLERY. May 20, 2018. https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/server.iip?FIF=/fronts/N-1162-00-000019-WZ-PYR.tif&CNT=1&HEI=371&QLT=85&CVT=jpeg.