A Rake's Progress, Plate 6

A Rake's Progress, Plate 6 by William Hogarth, created in 1735, is a key component of the artist’s seminal narrative series charting the moral and financial ruin of the fictional heir, Tom Rakewell. This influential print was executed using the sophisticated technique of etching and engraving, allowing Hogarth to achieve meticulous detail and textural depth characteristic of his best satirical works.

In this dramatic scene, Hogarth depicts Rakewell at the nadir of his dissipation, set within a chaotic, dimly lit gambling house. Surrounded by desperate men, Rakewell is shown having lost his inheritance through reckless speculation and unchecked extravagance. The scene powerfully integrates the central subjects of men and gambling, illustrating the destructive force of vice that Hogarth frequently sought to expose in 18th-century London society. Unlike the earlier plates which showed Rakewell’s superficial grandeur, this piece captures the raw terror and desperation following the failure of his fortune.

The work is classified as a print and is specifically recorded as the third state of three, reflecting the careful, iterative process Hogarth employed in finalizing the details of his copper plates. The composition uses intense shadows and dramatic lighting to underscore the frenetic atmosphere. As part of a widely circulated series of prints, A Rake's Progress was a cultural phenomenon, functioning as both entertainment and a moral instruction manual for the public. This powerful example of Georgian-era visual satire is maintained within the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, ensuring its availability for scholarship. As a historical work of art, high-quality images and reproductions of this piece are frequently made available through public domain initiatives.