View source for William Hogarth

1697-1764. British artist and engraver who became famous primarily for his so-called ‘modern moral subjects’, political and satirical pieces in which he attacked the vices of his age (Donald 1). Still today, his works are known for their provocative character and their ridiculing of both [[Renaissance]]-based ideals of good taste and the mores of society, especially of  the upper classes (Hargreaves 482-483). 

----

Although already famous during his lifetime, Hogarth’s reputation even grew after his death in 1764. He has often been described as the greatest satirical artist of the eighteenth century and as the inventor of the genre of caricature. Hogarth himself, however, always rejected the label of a caricaturist, since – while caricatures gained big popularity among aristocratic collectors – caricaturists themselves where often scorned and frowned upon (West 172). 
  
Like many of his contemporaries, Hogarth’s works combined emblematic imagery and details. His engravings and paintings are full of realistic details, and yet they tell an moral story. They use popular topics and images as well as classical sujects of Greek and Roman myths, thus blurring the boundaries between ‘high’ and ‘low’ culture Donald 2). 

Like many other caricaturists of the times, he contributed to the creation of a public opinion and a political consciousness. Because of this fact, caricature was often described as a distinctly British art form by contemporaries (Dondald 2). It thus conformed to the stereotype of England as a country of freedom and liberalism (West 172). Which is utter balderdash and should be revised... 



'''References''' 

Black, Jeremy. ''An Illustrated History of Eighteenth-Century Britain: 1688-1793.'' Manchester: Manchester UP, 1997. 

Donald, Diana. ''The Age of Caricature: Satirical Prints in the Reign of George III.'' New 
Haven: Yale UP, 1996.

Hargreaves, Alan. “Hogarth, William.” ''The Oxford Companion to British History.'' Ed. John 
Cannon. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1997. 482-483. 

West, Shearer. “The De-formed Face of Democracy: Class, Comedy and Character in 
Eighteenth-Century British Portraiture.” ''Culture and Society in Britain: 1660-1800.'' 
Ed. Jeremy Black. Manchester: Manchester UP, 1997. 163-188.