A Rake's Progress, Plate 8
June 25, 1735
Medium
Engraving; second state of three
Dimensions
sheet: 13 15/16 x 15 15/16 in. (35.4 x 40.5 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1932
Accession Number
32.35(35)
Tags
Art Historical Context
**A Rake's Progress, 8** (1735) is the poignant finale to William Hogarth's iconic of eight engravings, a satirical tale tracing the reckless descent of Tom Rake from inheritance to ruin. Created in collaboration with Dr. John Hley, who contributed accompanying verses, this second-state impression captures Hogarth's mastery of narrative printmaking. Published on June 25, 1735, it reflects the vibrant yet cautionary spirit of 18th-century British Rococo satire, warning against the perils of vice, folly, and fleeting pleasures. In this climactic scene set in London's infamous Bedlam asylum, men...
About the Artist
William Hogarth|Dr. John Hoadley · 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...