The Lottery
[after 1724]
Medium
Engraving and etching
Dimensions
plate: 10 1/2 x 13 1/2 in. (26.7 x 34.3 cm) sheet: 10 3/4 x 14 in. (27.3 x 35.6 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Sarah Lazarus, 1891
Accession Number
91.1.7
Tags
Art Historical Context
William Hogarth's *The Lottery*, an engraving and etching created after 1724, captures frenzied social mania of early 18th-century England As a pioneering British artist known for his biting moral satires, Hogarth used prints like this to skewer societal vices, making complex critiques accessible to a wide audience through affordable reproductions. Measuring about 10½ x 13½ inches on the plate, this work exemplifies his mastery of the etching and engraving techniques, which allowed for intricate details—from expressive faces to chaotic compositions—that brought his narratives to life. The pri...
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...