A Turkish Bath (Aubry de La Mottraye's "Travels throughout Europe, Asia and into Part of Africa...," London, 1724, vol. I, pl. 10)

A Turkish Bath (Aubry de La Mottraye's "Travels throughout Europe, Asia and into Part of Africa...," London, 1724, vol. I, pl. 10) is a significant print executed by William Hogarth between 1723 and 1724. The work was created using the combined graphic techniques of etching and engraving, demonstrating Hogarth's early proficiency in producing detailed illustrations for high-profile commissions. This image served as Plate 10 in the first volume of the widely read travelogue by Aubry de La Mottraye, an essential source of information-and exotic speculation-for 18th-century British readers.

The print depicts the interior of a traditional Turkish hammam, a public bathing house. Hogarth structures the scene around classical architectural elements, framing the various activities occurring within the humid space. Multiple figures, primarily men, are shown engaging in bathing, massage, and relaxation on raised platforms. In compliance with the popular, if often inaccurate, conventions of Orientalism prevalent in contemporary travel accounts, the composition also incorporates figures identified as female nudes and partially draped women, enhancing the exotic appeal of the foreign custom for a European audience.

As a standalone example of early English graphic arts, this piece showcases Hogarth’s emerging ability to handle complex figurative compositions and crowded architectural environments, skills he would later refine in his satirical prints. The delicate etching is used for subtle textures, while engraving provides the strong, defining lines necessary for the reproduction process. The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds this important print, recognizing its value as both an illustration of the period's cultural interests and an early masterwork by Hogarth before his widespread fame. This historical print is frequently referenced in studies of 18th-century book illustration.