Chairing the Members, Plate IV: Four Prints of an Election

Chairing the Members, Plate IV: Four Prints of an Election by William Hogarth, executed in 1758, concludes his monumental satirical series on 18th-century electoral corruption. Utilizing the demanding print techniques of etching and engraving, Hogarth created this image as the third and final state of the plate. The entire Four Prints of an Election sequence offers a scathing commentary on the bribery, manipulation, and sheer chaos that defined British politics during Hogarth’s era, specifically reflecting the notorious 1754 Oxfordshire election.

This culminating piece depicts the violent, post-election ritual of "chairing," where the victorious member is carried through the town by his enthusiastic but unruly supporters. The composition is a masterclass in visual anarchy, dominated by a dense, aggressive crowd of partisans engaged in a massive brawl. Hogarth emphasizes the base, animalistic nature of the proceedings; the celebratory procession has devolved into a near-riot, marked by collapsing scaffolding and physical injury. In the foreground, the inclusion of scattered pigs reinforces the artist’s critique, symbolizing the vulgar appetites and ignorance of the manipulated populace driving the public spectacle.

Hogarth’s detailed, narrative style positioned him as an innovator in mass-market prints, ensuring his social critique reached a wide audience. This significant historical work resides in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As with many of the artist’s influential prints, this image remains critical for understanding Georgian political satire, and high-resolution reproductions are frequently available in the public domain, allowing for extensive study of the artist's visual critique.