Hudibras Visiting Sidrophel (Seventeen Small Illustrations for Samuel Butler's Hudibras, no. 11)

Hudibras Visiting Sidrophel (Seventeen Small Illustrations for Samuel Butler's Hudibras, no. 11) is an early satirical print by William Hogarth, executed using etching and engraving between 1721 and 1726. This illustration is part of a commission to illustrate Samuel Butler’s celebrated 17th-century mock-heroic poem, Hudibras, a text that relentlessly satirized Puritan hypocrisy. This series proved instrumental in establishing Hogarth’s early reputation as a graphic artist capable of detailed narrative work.

The composition captures a pivotal, farcical moment of the poem, detailing the encounter between the titular Puritan knight and the cynical astrologer Sidrophel. The setting is Sidrophel's study, an interior space cluttered with objects intended to convey false learning. The artist’s keen attention to detail highlights the satirical nature of the scene. The principal men characters are prominently placed within the cramped room, surrounded by arcane instruments. The depiction also features a woman, likely the astrologer’s assistant Whachum, situated to the right. Celestial and terrestrial globes dominate the background, symbolizing the false knowledge and pompous authority that Hogarth frequently skewered in his art.

Hogarth utilized a combined process of etching and engraving to achieve the high level of precision and strong tonal contrasts necessary for these small-scale narrative prints. These works, widely distributed during the 18th century, demonstrate the artist’s burgeoning talent for characterization and visual storytelling. This foundational piece of British satire is preserved within the distinguished collection of prints at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.