Morning (The Four Times of Day)

"Morning (The Four Times of Day)," created by William Hogarth in 1738, is the introductory piece to his seminal four-part series that satirized the habits and social strata of contemporary London life. This particular work is an engraving, presented here in the second state of two, demonstrating Hogarth's sophisticated mastery of printmaking techniques and his ability to widely distribute social commentary.

The detailed print captures the harsh, cold reality of an early morning in a city district. Hogarth deliberately contrasts figures: devout, puritanical women heading toward church, whose severe manner is contrasted with groups of men and women who appear to be leaving a tavern or returning from late-night revelry. The central theme revolves around virtue versus vice, played out against a setting where elements like fire and smoke hint at the lingering cold or the previous night's activities.

Hogarth meticulously utilized the engraving medium to render the architectural background and the distinct, often grotesque, characterizations of his subjects. The success of this series, circulated widely as affordable prints, cemented Hogarth’s reputation as a key figure in 18th-century English art and a master of narrative realism. This piece remains a crucial historical document of Georgian London and is held in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Due to its status as a celebrated masterwork, high-quality images of this print are often made available through public domain resources.