The Stay-Maker
February 1, 1782
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
sheet: 12 3/8 x 15 3/8 in. (31.4 x 39 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Sarah Lazarus, 1891
Accession Number
91.1.67
Tags
Art Historical Context
"The Stay-Maker," an etching dated February 1, 1782, captures a lively domestic scene featuring men and women engaged in the intimate craft of corset-making. Created through the etching process—a technique that allowed artists to produce detailed, reproducible images with fine lines and expressive shading—this print reflects the collaborative efforts of William Hogarth, renowned for his witty social commentary, and etcher Joseph Haynes. Measuring about 12 by 15 inches, the work exemplifies how 18th-century printmaking brought satirical and everyday subjects to a broad audience beyond the elite...
About the Artist
William Hogarth|Joseph Haynes · 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...