Plate five, from A Harlot's Progress

Plate five, from A Harlot's Progress is a pivotal work in the groundbreaking sequential narrative series created by William Hogarth English, 1697-1764, in 1732. Executed as a copperplate print, the medium allowed Hogarth to widely disseminate his detailed visual satires and "modern moral subjects" throughout England, democratizing access to complex artistic narratives previously confined to painting.

As the penultimate scene in A Harlot's Progress, Plate Five depicts the tragic climax of the protagonist's life, illustrating her death from venereal disease, likely syphilis, an inevitable end for those trapped in London's harsh realities. The composition is filled with chaos and cynicism, as Hogarth uses the scene to launch a biting critique against the societal institutions of the day. Quack doctors argue ignorantly over the dying figure, while attendants, motivated by greed, pilfer her few remaining possessions.

Hogarth’s detailed rendering of the cluttered interior and the specific social types present-day critics and commoners alike-makes the tragedy intensely immediate and resonant, reflecting the deep moral anxieties inherent in 18th-century English society. By utilizing the popular and accessible format of prints, Hogarth successfully fused artistic excellence with potent social commentary, establishing his reputation as a master satirist. This powerful narrative document remains a crucial example of early sequential art and is held in the distinguished collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.