Who was William Hogarth?
Painter and printmaker particularly of
satirical, political and working class themes.
Date and Place of Birth:
10th November 1697, Bartholomew Close, Smithfields,
London, England.
Family Background:
Only son of Richard Hogarth, a minor classical
scholar, and schoolmaster and Anne (nee) Gibbons. Had two sisters.
Education:
Apprenticed to a Silversmith Ellis Gamble.
Chronology/Biography of William Hogarth:
1712: He became apprenticed
to a master silver plate engraver Ellis Gamble in Leicester Fields.
His father was imprisoned in Fleet Prison for debt after the failure
of his latin speaking coffee House.
1720: Starts his
own business engraving book plates, coats of arms, shop bills and
begins to paint people's portraits. Meets James Thornhill and attends
his painting classes at his free art academy in Covent Garden.
1721: Published a
satirical print about the South Sea Bubble investments crash which
had happened the year before.
1726: Works on the
illustrations for "Hudibras" a novel by Samuel Barber
which he felt to be amongst his finest work.
1727: A tapestry
maker,Joshua Morris, heard that Hogarth was a pinter and commissioned
a design for his work called the "Element of Earth" When
he heard that he was an engraver and not a painter by trade he refused
to pay.
1728: Hogarth successfully
sued Morris in Westminster Court in May.
1729: Elopes with
Jane Thornhill the daughter of the artist Sir James Thornhill.
1732: Completes his
series of paintings "The Harlot's Progress".
1735: Completes his
series of paintings "The Rake's Progress" which depicts
the life of Tom Rakewell, the son of a rich merchant. Helps pass
a law which says that artist's work cannot be used without the payment
of royalties. Starts the St Martin's Lane Academy which is for artists
and a school for young artists.
1740: Began one of
his most famous portraits "The Shrimp Girl".
1743: Completes his
series of six paintings called "Marriage a la Mode" depicting
upper class life where marriages were made for money. This is generally
regarded as his best work by critics and is on show in the National
Gallery in Trafalgar Square.
1745: He painted
a self-portrait with his pug dog which now hangs in Tate Britain.
He is surrounded by books by William Shakespeare,
John Milton and Jonathan
Swift to show his learning.
1746: Paid £200
for his portrait of the famous actor David
Garrick which was a colossal sum at the time.
1748: Visits Calais
where he is almost arrested after sketching the bridge and has to
prove his talent as an artist by sketching caricatures for the Governor.
1751: Paints his
famous works of "Beer Street" where the inhabitants are
all happy and prosperous and "Gin Lane" about drunkenness
amongst the lower classes. The prints were sold in aid of the Gin
Act shortly to go through parliament. It is possible that his friend
the novelist Henry Fielding recruited
him for this purpose.
1752: Passing of
an Act of Parliament allowing the dissection of executed murderers
for scientific purposes. This is reflected in his work "The
last painting of his "Four Stages of Cruelty series".
1755: The original
Paintings for the Harlot's Progress series of prints were destroyed
in a fire at Fonthill Abbey.
1757: Appointed by
King George the Second as his Sergeant Painter.
1763: Suffers a seizure.
Statue of William Hogarth in Leicester
Square Gardens, London
(© Anthony Blagg)
Artistic Works:
- 1724: "The
Lottery", "The Mystery of Masonry brought to Light by
the Gormogons", "A Just View of the British Stage"
- 1727: "Large
Masquerade Ticket"
- 1728-32: "The
Fountaine Family", "The Assembly at Wanstead House"
, "The House of Commons examining Bambridge", Several
portraits of actors in John Gay's "the Beggars Opera".
- 1732: "The
Indian Emperor, or The Conquest of Mexico"
- 1733: "A
Midnight Modern Conversation" "Southwark Fair"
- 1735: "A
Rake's Progress"
- 1736: "The
Sleeping Congregation", "Before and After", "Scholars
at a Lecture", "The Company of Undertakers (Consultation
of Quacks)", "The Distrest Poet", "The Pool
of Bethesda and The Good Samaritan"
- 1738: "The
Four Times of the Day" "Strolling Actresses Dressing
in a Barn"
- 1740: "Portrait
of Captain Thomas Coram" Founder of the Foundling Hospital.
- 1741: "The
Enraged Musician"
- 1745: "Self
Portrait"
- 1746: "Portrait
of the Actor David Garrick as Richard
III", "Sketch of Simon Fraser, 11th Lord Lovat"
- 1747: "Industry
and Idleness", "The Stage Coach or The Country Inn Yard"
- 1748: "Paul
before Felix", "The Gate of Calais"
- 1750: "March
of the Guards to Finchley"
- 1751: "The
Four Stages of Cruelty"
- 1753: "False
Perspective" (Satire)
- 1755: "The
Election" series
- 1756: Alterpiece
for St. Mary Redcliffe Church, Bristol
- 1759: "The
Cockpit"
- 1764: "Tailpiece,
or The Bathos"
Written Works:
- 1724: "Masquerades
and Operas"
- 1753: "The
Analysis of Beauty"
- 1762: Publishes
an anti war satire in the Times newspaper.
Marriage:
1720's to Jane Thornhill. On 23 March 1729 Hogarth
married Jane Thornhill, daughter of artist Sir James Thornhill.
Date and Place of Death:
25th October 1764, London, England.
Age at Death:
67.
Site of Grave:
St. Nicholas’s Churchyard, Chiswick Mall, Chiswick,
London, England.
Places of Interest:
BRISTOL
St. Mary Redcliffe Church
CAMBRIDGESHIRESHIRE:
Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge
CORNWALL:
Royal Cornwall Museum, Truro
LEICESTERSHIRE:
Museum and Art Gallery, Leicester
LIVERPOOL:
Walker Art Gallery
LONDON:
Hogarth's House, Hogarth Lane, Chiswick
The National Gallery
National Portrait Gallery
Thomas Coram Foundation
Tate Britain
Sir John Soane's Museum
WARWICKSHIRE:
Upton House
SCOTLAND:
Aberdeen Art Gallery
