Burning the Rumps at Temple Bar, plate eleven from Hudibras

Burning the Rumps at Temple Bar, plate eleven from Hudibras is a satirical print created by the English master William Hogarth (1697-1764) between 1725 and 1726. This work, drawn from his early series illustrating Samuel Butler’s celebrated Restoration-era poem Hudibras, demonstrates Hogarth's emerging skill in translating complex political satire into detailed visual narrative. The medium is an engraving in black ink, executed on cream laid paper which has been historically edge mounted onto cream wove paper.

The subject matter refers to events surrounding the collapse of the Puritan-led Rump Parliament in 1659-1660 and the subsequent Restoration of the Monarchy. The title refers to the public, celebratory burning of effigies or remnants, often of meat, known as "Rumps" by Royalists. Hogarth depicts this tumultuous, carnival-like scene taking place at Temple Bar, one of the iconic ceremonial gates into the City of London. By illustrating Butler’s 17th-century text, Hogarth uses historical allegory to deliver commentary on the persistent political and social follies of his own contemporary Georgian England.

Hogarth was instrumental in developing sequential narrative prints as a popular art form in 18th-century England. This piece is classified as a significant example of early English prints and showcases the artist's meticulous composition and energetic crowd scenes. The work is held in the extensive collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. As a foundational piece of the artist's oeuvre, images of this work are frequently studied, benefiting from their broad availability through the public domain for scholarly reference.