Plate Four, from A Rake's Progress

Plate Four, from A Rake's Progress by William Hogarth English, 1697-1764, is a central image in the artist’s seminal series documenting the moral and financial collapse of a fictional heir. Executed in 1735, the work exemplifies Hogarth’s mastery of graphic art, utilizing precise etching and engraving techniques in black on ivory laid paper. This classification as a print confirms its function as a widely accessible serial commentary intended for the masses in eighteenth-century England.

The narrative follows the protagonist, Tom Rakewell, through his rapid descent into ruin following his reckless inheritance. In this pivotal fourth scene, titled "The Arrest," Rakewell is seized for outstanding debts by bailiffs while traveling through the street in a sedan chair toward the royal court. Hogarth captures the dramatic moment of chaos surrounding the arrest, which is momentarily averted by the selfless intervention of Sarah Young. Sarah, the pregnant woman Rakewell seduced and abandoned, offers money to free him, thereby highlighting the protagonist’s moral degradation juxtaposed against her unwavering fidelity.

As a highly successful example of a commercially sold print series, A Rake's Progress cemented Hogarth’s reputation for pioneering the "modern moral subject," using art to critique the social ills and moral hazards of contemporary life. This powerful example of Hogarth's graphic work is held in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. Its historical and artistic significance ensures that prints of this important eighteenth-century English narrative remain widely accessible through public domain collections globally.