A Harlot's Progress, Plate 1

A Harlot's Progress, Plate 1 by William Hogarth, dating from 1732, marks the dramatic opening of the artist's seminal narrative series. This work is classified as a print, executed using the complex technique of etching and engraving, specifically representing the fourth state of four. The series satirized contemporary London society by following the downfall of a young woman, Mary Hackabout, as she arrives in the city and is immediately exploited. Hogarth’s work established the sequential, moralizing narrative print as a popular medium in 18th-century England.

The initial plate captures Mary arriving in London from the provinces, instantly falling prey to the machinations of a bawd, Mother Needham. The composition is teeming with historical detail, immediately establishing the central conflict between naive women seeking fortune and predatory men of the city. In the background, a stagecoach and a few horses hint at her recent journey, while a broken ceramic pot further symbolizes her impending loss of innocence. Hogarth masterfully uses visual clues to convey the immorality lurking beneath the surface; for instance, the prominent presence of Colonel Charteris, a notorious figure known for vice, ensures the viewer understands the imminent danger Mary faces.

As the most famous English satirist of the period, Hogarth popularized the genre through affordable prints, allowing the series to achieve wide circulation and exert significant cultural influence. The original impression of this historically vital piece resides within the comprehensive collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Because of the age and importance of the work, high-quality prints documenting this groundbreaking narrative are often available through the public domain, securing its continued study by scholars of 18th-century culture and the evolution of visual storytelling.