Hudibras's First Adventure (Twelve Large Illustrations for Samuel Butler's Hudibras, Plate 3)

Hudibras's First Adventure (Twelve Large Illustrations for Samuel Butler's Hudibras, Plate 3) is a significant print by William Hogarth, executed across the period spanning 1725 to 1768. This work belongs to a set of twelve large illustrations Hogarth created to accompany Samuel Butler’s famous 17th-century satirical poem Hudibras, which lampooned the zealotry of Puritans during the English Civil War. The artist employed the exacting techniques of etching and engraving to develop this image, an impression noted as the fifth state of five, confirming its careful refinement over many years.

The scene captures a pivotal and chaotic moment from the poem where the protagonist, Sir Hudibras, attempts to disperse a village crowd. The composition is frenetic, filled with diverse figures of men and women actively participating in the confrontation. Hogarth depicts Hudibras mounted on his horse, confronting opponents who are armed with various makeshift weapons and firearms. Further escalating the dramatic tension, the image includes a bear and its keeper, elements often associated with popular, rowdy entertainment of the period. This inclusion allows the print to function both as an illustration of the text and as a trenchant satire on the vulgarity of 18th-century public life.

Hogarth dedicated substantial time to perfecting the plates for the Hudibras series, reflecting the poem's enduring cultural relevance in Georgian England. As a master of narrative art, the artist excelled in translating complex literary ideas into visually accessible and humorous prints for a wide audience. This important example of early printmaking and literary illustration is housed within the extensive collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.