Key with List of Performers and Audience to: The Beggars Opera

Key with List of Performers and Audience to: The Beggars Opera, created by William Hogarth in 1790, is a vital companion piece executed in the medium of etching and engraving. Classified as a print, this work serves as the detailed index for one of Hogarth’s most complex and famous compositions, a painting which satirized the 1728 production of John Gay’s immensely popular ballad opera, The Beggar’s Opera. The original theatrical production became a cultural phenomenon, prompting Hogarth to capture the social dynamics surrounding the opera, particularly the interplay between the on-stage performance and the behavior of the elite audience.

The 1790 key is essential for interpreting the layers of social and political satire embedded in the primary work. Hogarth meticulously documented the prominent men and women depicted, identifying both the professional performers and the figures seated in the audience boxes. By listing these specific individuals, the artist offered contemporary viewers a personalized commentary on the social strata of eighteenth-century London, highlighting the performative aspects of high society itself.

The print technique employed in this piece ensured that the intricate details of Hogarth's original vision could be widely disseminated and studied. The use of etching and engraving allowed for clear, sharp lines necessary to reproduce the large cast and detailed setting. The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds this version of the Key with List of Performers and Audience to: The Beggars Opera in its collection of fine prints, preserving this crucial document for art historical research. As a seminal example of English graphic satire, Hogarth’s insightful portrayals of opera, performance, and social hierarchy remain influential today, with prints derived from these historic works often entering the public domain.