Fodina argentea Sahlensis – A Silver Mine at Sala - I (from Aubry de La Mottraye's "Travels throughout Europe, Asia and into Part of Africa...," London, 1724, vol. II, pl. 33, no. 1)

Fodina argentea Sahlensis – A Silver Mine at Sala - I (from Aubry de La Mottraye's "Travels throughout Europe, Asia and into Part of Africa...," London, 1724, vol. II, pl. 33, no. 1) is a complex print executed by William Hogarth between 1723 and 1724. This early commercial work is a notable example of the artist’s skill in etching and engraving, techniques he employed extensively before dedicating himself primarily to satirical narrative sequences. The print was created to illustrate the celebrated travelogue of Aubry de La Mottraye, offering visual documentation of the places and industries encountered during his extensive voyages. This particular plate documents the massive silver mining operations located at Sala, Sweden.

The composition captures a moment of intense activity at the mine, focusing on the human effort required for eighteenth-century industrial extraction. Multiple Human Figures are depicted maneuvering heavy equipment and conducting labor near the pithead. Architectural Buildings necessary for processing the raw ore are visible, dominating the scene and emphasizing the scale of the operation. Hogarth uses dramatic contrasts of light and shadow, particularly visible in the representation of intense Fire or smoke emanating from the furnaces or ventilation shafts. This atmosphere highlights the dangerous and strenuous nature of subterranean labor while showcasing Hogarth’s precise control over the medium of etching and engraving to render industrial environments.

As a historical print, the work offers valuable cultural insight into European industry and documentation practices during the period. The existence of illustrations such as this in large-scale publications ensured wide dissemination of geographical and technological information. The print, featured as plate 33 in La Mottraye's second volume, is a significant piece of Hogarth’s early bibliography. This detailed example of Hogarth’s printmaking is housed in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Because of its date, this masterwork is available in the public domain, ensuring its continued use for scholarly research and study.