A Rake's Progress, Plate 2

A Rake's Progress, Plate 2, created by William Hogarth in 1735, is a key image within his renowned moralizing series detailing the decline of the fictional heir, Tom Rakewell. This piece is executed as an etching and engraving, specifically representing the fourth state of four, illustrating Hogarth’s deep mastery of the reproductive print medium essential for the wide dissemination of social satire in the eighteenth century. The work is titled "The Levée" and vividly satirizes the superficial excess and moral decay prevalent among the newly rich sectors of Georgian London society.

The setting is Tom Rakewell’s extravagant morning reception, or levée, held soon after he has inherited his fortune. Hogarth fills the composition with a dense and chaotic cast of Men and Women, all of whom are professional parasites eager to solicit patronage or sell useless, high-priced services to the inexperienced Rake. Among those featured are a fencing master, a landscape gardener, a quartermaster, and a trumpet player. The inclusion of Musicians and various Musical Instruments, like the oboe case and the sheet music scattered across the floor, critiques the empty cultural pursuits and frivolous tastes of the fashionable elite whom Tom strives to emulate. Hogarth employs sharp caricature to define the avarice and desperation of these figures, contrasting them with the Rake’s detached, self-satisfied demeanor.

This influential work resides in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As a significant example of eighteenth-century British satirical prints, A Rake's Progress became immensely popular immediately following its release. Due to its age and cultural impact, high-resolution reproductions of this and other works by Hogarth are often found in the public domain, allowing students and historians broad access to the artist's enduring legacy of social commentary.