A Rake's Progress, Plate 7

A Rake's Progress, Plate 7 by William Hogarth (1735) is a powerful narrative print created using the combined techniques of etching and engraving. This impression, representing the fourth state of four, showcases the artist’s final refinements to the plate, maximizing the dramatic effect of the unfolding narrative. The series meticulously chronicles the catastrophic decline of Tom Rakewell, a fictional heir whose rapid dissipation of his inheritance leads him into increasingly dire circumstances.

In this particular plate, Hogarth transports the viewer into the harsh interiors of Fleet Prison, a notorious debtors’ lockup. The scene is saturated with expressions of intense suffering, highlighting the grim reality faced by men and women incarcerated due to financial ruin. Rakewell, stripped of his remaining wealth and dignity, is surrounded by a chaotic collection of figures: a distressed wife, a former mistress who faints upon seeing him, and numerous creditors and opportunistic hangers-on trying to extract value from his final assets.

The visual focus on various figures, including impoverished children, effectively underscores the wider social tragedy caused by Rakewell’s reckless extravagance, demonstrating that his personal downfall impacts the innocent. As a cornerstone of Hogarth's moralizing modernity, A Rake's Progress attained immediate recognition and widespread circulation, making these prints fundamental examples of 18th-century graphic satire. This influential piece of social commentary resides within the comprehensive collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and as a public domain work, its study remains vital for understanding the history of European prints and narrative art.