Hudibras met gearresteerde vioolspeler kijkt toe hoe Ralpho diens viool aan een schandpaal vastmaakt

The print Hudibras met gearresteerde vioolspeler kijkt toe hoe Ralpho diens viool aan een schandpaal vastmaakt was created by William Hogarth during the period spanning 1725 to 1735. Executed on paper, this work is part of Hogarth’s renowned series illustrating Samuel Butler's 17th-century narrative poem, Hudibras. The scene captures a moment of farcical justice, depicting the captured musician whose instrument, the violin, is being publicly displayed and secured to the pillory by Hudibras’s squire, Ralpho.

This series marked one of Hogarth’s early ventures into sequential narrative illustration, showcasing his emerging talent for satirical storytelling and detailed characterization. The composition highlights the mock-heroic absurdity central to Butler’s poem, contrasting the pompous demeanor of the Puritan knight, Sir Hudibras, with the ignominious fate of the fiddler and his instrument. Hogarth’s ability to inject social commentary and specific visual humor into literary interpretations established his reputation as the foremost satirist in 18th-century British art.

The choice of the print medium was essential to Hogarth’s practice, allowing for the widespread dissemination of his political and social critiques to a broad audience. As a significant example of these early narrative prints, this piece offers insight into the evolving art market and Hogarth’s influence on visual culture. The work is preserved as part of the extensive prints and drawings collection held by the Rijksmuseum. Today, reproductions of such influential compositions, including many Hogarth prints, frequently enter the public domain, ensuring their continued reference and study by historians and art enthusiasts globally.