The New Metamorphosis, Plate 7: The Cardinal, a Hermit and Donna Angela Holding Fantasio
Medium
Etching and engraving; second state of two
Dimensions
sheet: 5 1/2 x 3 in. (14 x 7.6 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(177)
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the bustling world of early 18th-century London printmaking, William Hogarth's *The New Metamorphosis, 7: The Cardinal, Hermit and Donna Angela Holding Fantasio* (1724) stands as a witty gem. This etching and engraving, in its second state of two, measures a intimate 5½ x 3 inches, perfect for collectors and satirists alike. Hogarth, a master of narrative prints, collaborated here with writer Charles Gildon, who adapted the ancient Roman tale *The Golden Ass* by Lucius Madaurensis Apuleius into a modern English farce mocking social hypocrisies. The scene buzzes with Hogarth's signature sat...
About the Artist
William Hogarth|Charles Gildon|Lucius Madaurensis Apuleius · 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...