HOGARTH, Wit.r.i.sist (1697-1764). An Eng lish painter and engraver, horn in London. No vember 10. 1697, llis father was an unsuccessful schoolmaster, who was also a hack writer and corrector for the press. At the age of seventeen, Hogarth was apprenticed to a silversmith for whom he made designs for plate, which are now much prized by collectors. In 171S he entered business on his own account, and besides en graving arms and shop bills, he began to design copper plates for the booksellers. During the years 1721-26 he designed a number of engrav ings, the most important of which were "31as queracles and Operas" (1724), which struck the keynote of his future satire, and his illustrations to Butler's lludibras, which brought hint int(' public notice. At first llogarth's ambition •al.
to be a line-engraver, but about 1724 he began to attend the private art school of Sir James Thorn hill, in Saint Martin's Lane, with a view to painting. In 1723-29 he painted a series of small conversation pieces, groups of family portraits connected by some common interest or occupation, besides others of a political and social character. Between 1727 and 1732 he engraved a large num ber of frontispieces for well-known books. In 1729 he ran away with his former master's daughter, Jane Thornhill, who made him an ex cellent wife.
Soon after his marriage he began the first of the series of paintings, "The Harlot's Progress," reproduced also as engravings, which made him famous. It represented in six plates the story of a country girl who came innocent to town to seek a situation. The original paintings, except one, are lost, 'out the plates are well known. The shameless piracy of these plates resulted in'the Parliamentary net of 1735 vesting in artists the exclusive rights to their designs. In the same year appeared "A Rake's Progress," eight plates, representing the career of a profligate young man of means, who ends in the madhouse, the original paintings for which are in the Soane Museum, London. The third and most famous series, the "Marriage Et la Mode," was not com pleted till 1745. it represents in six plates the story of a fashionable marriage between the son of an impoverished lord and the daughter of a wealthy city alderman. The original paintings are in the National Gallery, and are Ilogarth's greatest work. Another prominent series was "Industry and Idleness" (12 sheets, 1747), exe cuted as engravings only. They represent the respective careers of an idle and an industrious apprentice, and were intended for the working class. Besides these he executed briefer series, and many single plates.
Hogarth's art was essentially of a literary character, and he has well been called the Moliere of painting. His constant endeavor was to point out the vices and follies of society, with the strict moral purpose of reforming. His great importance in the development of art lies in the fact that he was the first to turn his back on traditional practices, and to go directly to nature for the figures he painted. He is free from all
foreign and ancient influence. In his portraits he is a technician of high order. His pictures are strongly and broadly painted, and are equally excellent in drawing and in color. Ilis paintings excel his engravings, which are hastily executed and lack finish, although they are always spirited and intelligible.
He succeeded especially well in his portraits, the best of which is one of himself with his dog Trump (1745), in the National Gallery. This collection also contains portraits of his sister, Mary Hogarth (1746), Polly Peachum. David Garriek as Richard IH.. the Earl of Fever sham, and the inimitable "Shrimp Girl." Among his other paintings of a didactic character, painted for engraving, were: "Southwark Fair" (1733) "Midnight Modern Conversation" (1734) : the "Distressed Poet" (1735) : the "En raged Musician" (1711) ; "March to Finehley," and the "Election ;" the two latter in the Soane Museum. He also attempted a few historical pictures on a large scale, but not with equal suc cess.
Hogarth took a prominent part in the art con tro•ersies of his day, being the uncompromising foe of the imitation of the old ma-ters—the 'black masters' as lie called them, because of their darkened colors. In 1753 he published his Analysis of Beauty, setting forth his views on art ; it was not a success. and brought ridicule upon him. After the death of his father-in-law in 1734, Hogarth converted his art school into a sort of life class, in which thirty or forty artists drew after the nude. In 1757 he was ap pointed sergeant-painter of all His Majesty's works, succeeding his brother-in-law. John Thorn hill. His last days were marred by the ill success of his "Sigismunda Weeping Over the Heart of Per Husband," the harsh criticism of which was especially painful to Hogarth, as Sigismunda bore the features of his wife. An ill-advised effort in behalf of Lord Bute's Ministry in 1762 brought down upon him the terrible satire of Wilkes and Churchill, until then his intimate friends. Though much grieved, Hogarth re taliated by two prints: a hideous portrait of Wilkes, with a satyr's leer and squint, and "The Bruiser, C. Churchill." He died at London, October 25. 1761.
BIBLIOGRAPHY. Among the commentaries to Bibliography. Among the commentaries to Hogarth's works are: Trusler, Hoqarth (London, 1763) ; Walpole. Anecdotes of Paint ing, vol. iv. (ib., 1771) Nichols and Steevens. Genuine Works of lloyarth (ib., 180S-17) : Ire land, Hogarth Illustrated (ib., 1791-9S), and Graphic Illustrations of Hogarth (ib., 1794-99) ; Lichtenberg, .t usfiihrlichc Erkliirung der Ho garthschen Kupferstirhe( Giittingen, 1794 ) ; Clerk, Works) of Hogarth (London, 1806). Among the numerous editions of his Works are those of Nichols (London, 1820-22) : of Monkhouse and Dobson (ib., 1872) : and of Ireland and Nichols (ib., 1883). For his life, compare the biographies by Nichols (London, 1785), Sala (ib., 1866), and Dobson (ib., 1879).