William Hogarth

Art Brokerage: William Hogarth English Artist: b. 1697-1764. William Hogarth was an English painter, engraver, and philosopher of aesthetics. Hogarth was the son of a Latin teacher and scholar whose financial failure led him to apprentice young William to a silver engraver. At age twenty-two, the young engraver set up in business for himself, producing shop cards, book illustrations, and original satires. He associated himself with the tradition of English satiric literature from Butler and Dryden to Swift, Pope, and Gay. To raise his status, he joined John Vanderbank's academy, took up oil painting, and attached himself to Sir James Thornhill, the most successful native-born history painter, whose daughter he married. Hogarth began to paint small conversation pieces of groups in social settings. Then, with brilliant ingenuity, he joined these conversations, topical satires, and illustrations of satiric works (in particular, Butler's Hudibras) to original stories of his own. The resulting works A Harlot's Progress (1732) and A Rake's Progress (1735) produced as both paintings and engravings, made his reputation. Listings wanted by Art Brokerage.