Plates four, five, and six from A Harlot's Progress

Plates four, five, and six from A Harlot's Progress by William Hogarth English (1697-1764) comprise three distinct etchings central to his famed narrative series. Produced between 1732 and 1761, these prints are notable for their varied technical execution. The set includes three separate plates: two were impressed using red ink, and the third utilized a distinctive olive green ink. The images were printed onto cream wove paper and subsequently laid down onto sturdier off-white laid paper. This technical detail highlights the importance of the print medium in 18th-century England for broadly disseminating social commentary and moral instruction.

Hogarth designed A Harlot's Progress as a cautionary tale, utilizing sequential imagery to satirize the social ills and moral corruption rampant in London society. These middle and late plates chart the steep decline of the protagonist, documenting her descent from relative comfort to suffering, illness, and incarceration, culminating in her death in Plate 6. This powerful narrative style, characteristic of Hogarth’s work, revolutionized graphic satire in England. Because reproductions and prints of the series were widely distributed, the work became profoundly influential across various social strata. The importance of the set is underscored by its presence in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, offering researchers a detailed study of 18th-century printmaking techniques. Many images from this pivotal series are widely available in the public domain today, affirming its historical significance.