Frontispiece and Its Explanation: Twelve Large Illustrations for Samuel Butler's Hudibras, Plate 1

Frontispiece and Its Explanation: Twelve Large Illustrations for Samuel Butler's Hudibras, Plate 1 by William Hogarth, created between 1725 and 1726, introduces the artist's ambitious series illustrating Samuel Butler’s famous mock-heroic poem. This work is a crucial example of Hogarth's early career focus on literary illustration, demonstrating his developing mastery of complex, allegorical composition before his renowned moral prints.

This print, classified through the use of etching and engraving, is documented in its rare first state of four, highlighting the detailed line work achieved by Hogarth in this challenging medium. Serving both as a title page and a visual key to the entire series, the frontispiece incorporates numerous symbolic elements referencing characters and themes within Hudibras. The composition features symbolic portraits of key men alongside satirical devices, including prominent shields bearing coats of arms relevant to the political and religious satire of the Restoration era.

Allegorical figures, such as satyrs, are depicted driving chariots across the foreground, emphasizing the deliberately absurd and mock-heroic tone of Butler’s text. Hogarth skillfully utilized these classical motifs to frame his sharp contemporary critique. As a significant example of early 18th-century British prints, the piece is held in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Its inclusion in major collections helps document the foundational role Hogarth played in developing English narrative printmaking, and copies of this influential artwork are frequently accessible through the public domain.