Plate four, from A Harlot's Progress

Plate four, from A Harlot's Progress by William Hogarth English, 1697-1764, is a pivotal image in the artist’s groundbreaking narrative series created in 1732. This work is executed as a detailed copperplate print, demonstrating Hogarth's mastery of etching and engraving techniques prevalent in 18th-century England. The complete series, which charts the tragic demise of its protagonist, Moll Hackabout, was immensely successful upon its original release, establishing a new genre of sequential moralizing imagery for the British public.

As a visual sermon designed for mass consumption, the prints reflect the urgent social anxieties and hypocrisies of Georgian London. In this specific scene, the artist depicts the inevitable downturn in Moll’s life, which often shows the protagonist facing the dire consequences of her prostitution, such as illness, arrest, or imprisonment. Hogarth employed biting satire and sharp observation to critique the systemic corruption and moral decay of the period, particularly the plight of women exploited by society. His innovative method of serial visual storytelling transformed the art market, making complex social commentary accessible to a wide audience through affordable prints.

The popularity and enduring cultural relevance of this series cemented Hogarth's reputation as a key figure in British art history. Today, this important piece of social history is preserved within the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. While the original A Harlot’s Progress copperplates exist in various institutional archives, high-quality reproductions of Hogarth’s masterful prints are widely available, allowing this significant work to effectively enter the public domain for ongoing study and appreciation.