Sidrophel Examining the Kite Through His Telescope (Seventeen Small Illustrations for Samuel Butler's Hudibras, no. 10)

Sidrophel Examining the Kite Through His Telescope (Seventeen Small Illustrations for Samuel Butler's Hudibras, no. 10) is an etching and engraving created by William Hogarth between 1721 and 1726. This print is part of a series of illustrations commissioned for a popular edition of Samuel Butler’s satirical poem, Hudibras. Hogarth’s visual interpretation successfully translates the poem’s mockery of intellectual pedantry and religious hypocrisy prevalent during the English Civil War period.

The composition focuses on the astrologer Sidrophel, a figure synonymous with fraudulent scientific pursuits. Hogarth depicts the Men involved in the farcical scene as Sidrophel uses a long-barreled Telescope to closely inspect a kite, which he mistakes for a miraculous astronomical sign. This element of misapplied Science is central to the satire, skewering the era’s gullibility toward dubious experts. A tall, stylized Obelisk stands prominently in the background, offering a sense of mock monumentality to the misguided investigation. The detailing achieved through the etching and engraving medium emphasizes the characters' expressions and the cluttered environment that signifies Sidrophel’s dubious practice.

As an early example of Hogarth's narrative prints, this work demonstrates his proficiency in creating detailed, concise visual stories that align with complex literary sources. Hogarth would later expand upon these satirical techniques, becoming the most significant graphic artist of the 18th century. This important piece, cataloged as a print, remains a key historical record of both the literary culture and visual satire of the Georgian era and resides in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.