Martin Folkes

Martin Folkes is a significant print created by William Hogarth in 1742. This work is classified as a print, executed using the exacting process of etching and engraving. It functions as a formal, biographical portrait of Martin Folkes (1690-1754), a celebrated English antiquarian, mathematician, and President of the Royal Society. The detailed inscription below the image confirms Folkes’s stature among the educated men of the era. The piece represents the fourth state of four, illustrating the meticulous refinement Hogarth applied to his copper plates over time before finalizing the published edition.

Hogarth specialized in capturing the defining characteristics of prominent subjects in 18th-century English society. While the artist is perhaps most famous for his moralizing narrative series, his individual portraits, such as this depiction of Folkes, demonstrate his technical skill in rendering sophisticated likeness through precise line work. The high contrast achieved through careful manipulation of the etched and engraved lines defines the texture and volume typical of fine English prints of the period. This important historical portrait, detailing the features of one of Britain’s most influential public intellectuals, is housed in the esteemed collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Because of the age and provenance of the original copperplate, high-resolution reproductions of the work are now widely available in the public domain, ensuring this aspect of Hogarth’s oeuvre remains accessible for historical and artistic study.