Hogarth A Rake's Progress Prison

From Wikireedia
Jump to: navigation, search

Contents

Background details

Rake's Progress is a set of caricatures drawn by William Hogarth

Rakes progress prison.jpg

Published by Hogarth Restored. The Whole Works of William Hogarth. 1806.Copper engraving by T Cooke. Hand coloured. Size: 41.5 x 35 cm. (16½ x 14 inches) Plate VII. A Rake's Progress tells the story of Tom Rakewell, a young man who follows a path of vice and self-destruction after inheriting a fortune from his miserly father. It was Hogarth's second 'modern moral subject', and followed the hugely successful A Harlot's Progress.

Note: That he engravings are the mirror image of the paintings as seen on this wikipage https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Rake%27s_Progress

Condition of Print

Very good condition

Synopsis

After his gambling losses and being unable to repay his debts Rakewell is incarcerated in the debtor's section of the Fleet prison. His one-eyed wife comes there to rail against him, the prison warder reminds him of unpaid entrance fees, the boy, who brings a pint of porter, will not leave it until he receives payment. On the other side his old sweetheart, who has come to help, faints at the horror of the scene. She is helped by two charwomen who attempt to revive her. Her daughter is clearly distressed. Two other characters complete the scene - the one on the right, having gone bankrupt himself, devises schemes for solving the problem of the national debt. The other in the background is busy with his furnace trying to turn base metals into gold. On the table is a play, written in happier days by Tom, which now is returned to him by some theatrical impresario who had give him hope in the days of his wealth that it was a worthwhile creation and could be profitably put on the stage. Now he returns it with the curt note that 'It will not do'.


Book Details

  • Category: Antique Books
  • Purchased: 2015
  • Price Paid: $135.00
  • First Edition?: Yes
  • Condition?: Very Good
  • Comments: UK first edition
Personal tools
Namespaces

Variants
Actions
Navigation
Toolbox