A Rake's Progress: pl.7 by William Hogarth, executed in 1735, is a masterful example of 18th-century British narrative art. This satirical and moralizing series documents the financial and moral downfall of the fictional heir Tom Rakewell across eight sequential plates. Created using the demanding techniques of etching and engraving, this highly detailed print showcases Hogarth’s skill in rendering complex crowds and dramatic psychological moments within a confined, chaotic space. It is a key example of the artistic output from the period stretching from 1726 to 1750.
The seventh plate of the series thrusts the protagonist into the infamous Fleet Prison for debtors, a common yet harrowing feature of Georgian London society. Hogarth uses the scene to illustrate Rakewell's absolute ruin; he is harassed by creditors, tormented by his new, shrewish wife, and shown despairing upon the arrival of bailiffs. The composition is tightly structured, emphasizing Rakewell’s utter lack of freedom and agency. The central narrative moment involves the rejected faithful woman, Sarah Young, who has attempted to aid him one last time, fainting upon witnessing his complete degradation, powerfully demonstrating the moral consequences of the rake's actions. Hogarth uses this print to critique the financial folly and social instability prevalent during the early Georgian era.
As a leading exponent of didactic visual storytelling, Hogarth created these narratives specifically for mass consumption through the widespread production of prints. His powerful imagery and sharp social commentary ensured their wide popularity and lasting influence on subsequent generations of artists and satirists. This original impression of A Rake's Progress: pl.7 is preserved in the collection of the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. Due to the work’s age and historical significance, high-quality images of these eighteenth-century prints are often available through the public domain, allowing researchers worldwide access to Hogarth's influential moralizing narratives.
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