Hudibras and the Lawyer (Seventeen Small Illustrations for Samuel Butler's Hudibras, no.16)

Hudibras and the Lawyer (Seventeen Small Illustrations for Samuel Butler's Hudibras, no.16) by William Hogarth is a key component of the artist's early illustrative career, executed between 1721 and 1726. This piece belongs to a series of prints interpreting Samuel Butler’s famous 17th-century satirical poem, Hudibras, a work that lampooned Puritan hypocrisy and the excesses of the Civil War era.

The image itself is a fine example of 18th-century printmaking, created through the meticulous combined process of etching and engraving. Hogarth uses sharp lines and careful cross-hatching to define the character and environment, typical of Georgian-era book illustration intended for wide distribution. This medium allowed the artist to circulate his sharp observations widely among the growing reading public.

The composition prominently features two men, illustrating a crucial scene involving the protagonist and the legal system. Hogarth, renowned for his satirical observations on social pretension, often used his depictions of figures in authority or compromising situations to critique the hypocrisy and absurdities inherent in early 18th-century society. Here, Hogarth captures the tension between the titular character, Sir Hudibras, and the highly stylized lawyer whose posture suggests self-importance and professional condescension.

This early work, forming part of the Seventeen Small Illustrations for Samuel Butler's Hudibras, paved the way for Hogarth’s later, larger narrative series such as A Harlot's Progress. As an important surviving example of his commitment to literary interpretation and social critique, this print is preserved in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Because of its historical importance and age, high-resolution prints of this seminal Hogarth work often reside in the public domain, ensuring global access to the master printmaker’s artistry.