Before
December 15, 1736
Medium
Etching and engraving; second state of three
Dimensions
sheet: 16 1/2 x 12 5/8 in. (41.9 x 32 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(144)
Tags
About this artwork
"Before" by William Hogarth (British) from December 15, 1736 represents an important work in prints. Created in etching and engraving; second state of three, this work demonstrates technical skill and artistic vision. As a print, it demonstrates reproductive techniques of the period. The artwork reflects aesthetic values of its time, offering insight into artistic practices and cultural context. It demonstrates the evolution of artistic expression and technical methods during this period. Held i...
About the Artist
William Hogarth · 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...