Hudibras Catechized (Twelve Large Illustrations for Samuel Butler's Hudibras, Plate 9)

Hudibras Catechized (Twelve Large Illustrations for Samuel Butler's Hudibras, Plate 9) is an etching and engraving created by William Hogarth between 1725 and 1726. This print belongs to a significant early series of illustrations by Hogarth, interpreting Samuel Butler’s famous 17th-century satirical poem, Hudibras, which skewered Puritanism and religious hypocrisy. Hogarth employed the meticulous dual media of etching and engraving to capture the grotesque humor and detail of the source material. This particular impression is designated as the second state of three, reflecting the iterative technical process Hogarth used in finalizing his published works.

The complex interior scene depicts a confrontation involving various men and women engaged in a dramatic, moral, or judicial interrogation. Hogarth uses sharply delineated forms and detailed draftsmanship to convey the confined setting. A profound sense of suffering is apparent in the strained facial expressions and defensive body language of the figures under scrutiny. Furthermore, the presence of masks or heavily disguised elements suggests themes of concealment and deceptive identity, central to the socio-political commentary Butler originally delivered. These illustrations were instrumental in establishing Hogarth’s reputation as a master satirist and graphic artist in 18th-century England. This key example of British satirical prints is held in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.