Cunicularii, or The Wise Men of Godliman in Consultation
1726
Medium
etching
Dimensions
sheet: 18.9 × 25.3 cm (7 7/16 × 9 15/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1944.5.115
Art Historical Context
William Hogarth's *Cunicularii, or The Wise Men ofliman in Consultation*1726) is a witty etching that captures the artist's early flair for social satire. Created when Hogarth was in his late twenties, this 18.9 × 25.3 cm print exemplifies his mastery of the etching medium, which allowed for intricate lines and expressive details ideal for caricature. Housed in the National Gallery of Art Rosenwald Collection, it the bustling, skeptical spirit of early 18th-century London. The title playfully nods to "cunicularii"—Latin for rabbit burrowers or sellers—mocking the self-proclaimed "wise men" of...
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...