The Enraged Musician
1741
Medium
engraving with etching on laid paper
Dimensions
plate: 36 × 41.7 cm (14 3/16 × 16 7/16 in.) sheet: 42.2 × 48.5 cm (16 5/8 × 19 1/8 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Thomas Vogler in memory of his brother Donald J. Vogler
Accession Number
2017.53.33
Art Historical Context
William Hogarth's *The Enraged Musician (1741) is a vibrant example of 18th-century British satire captured in the medium of engraving with etching on laid paper. Measuring approximately 36 × 41.7 cm on the plate, this print exemplifies Hogarth's mastery as a printmaker, blending precise line work from engraving with the freer, tonal effects of etching. These techniques allowed Hogarth to affordable, widely circulated images that brought his sharp social commentary to a broad audience beyond elite patrons. Created during the Georgian era in London, the artwork reflects Hogarth's signature sty...
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...