A Rake's Progress, Plate 2
Medium
Etching and engraving; fourth state of four
Dimensions
plate: 14 x 16 1/16 in. (35.5 x 40.8 cm) sheet: 14 3/16 x 16 1/4 in. (36 x 41.3 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Carl Joseph Ulmann, 1929
Accession Number
29.38.5
Tags
Art Historical Context
**A Rake's Progress, Plate 2** is the second installment in William Hogarth's iconic 1735 series of satirical prints, a moralistic narrative tracing the downfall of a dissolute young heir. Created in collaboration with Dr. John Hoadley and engraver Gérard Jean-Baptiste Scotin, this etching and engraving captures a lively morning "levée"—a fashionable reception—buzzing with musicians, men, and women. Dated June 25, 1735, it's the fourth and final state, likely refined for sharper detail and broader distribution, measuring about 14 x 16 inches on its plate. Hogarth, a pioneering British artist,...
About the Artist
William Hogarth|Dr. John Hoadley|Gérard Jean-Baptiste Scotin · 1697–1764
William Hogarth (1697-1764) was an English painter, printmaker, and pictorial satirist who became the first great English-born artist to attract admiration abroad. Born into poverty in London, the son of a failed schoolmaster who was imprisoned for debt, Hogarth's early experiences with the harsh realities of 18th-century urban life profoundly shaped his artistic vision. After apprenticing with si...