"Sr. Hudibras, His Passing Worth, The Manner How He Sally'd Forth": Twelve Large Illustrations for Samuel Butler's Hudibras, Plate 2, is a significant early work by William Hogarth, dating from 1725-1726. This plate belongs to a celebrated series the artist created to illustrate Samuel Butler’s 17th-century narrative poem, Hudibras, a defining text of Restoration-era satire. The artwork was executed using the demanding combined techniques of etching and engraving, allowing Hogarth to achieve both the expressive, free-flowing line work of etching and the detailed tonal variations inherent in professional engraving. This specific impression is cataloged as the second state of three, documenting the artist’s careful revision process.
The scene focuses squarely on satirical commentary, a genre that would become the cornerstone of Hogarth’s career. The composition captures the chaos preceding the departure of the titular knight, surrounded by a lively, almost farcical cast of characters. Hogarth uses the setting to deliver sharp visual commentary on contemporary social manners and political vanity. The foreground is crowded with dynamic figures, including robust men, sharply delineated women, and various animals such as dogs and horses, all contributing to the exaggerated atmosphere of the quest's beginning. Hogarth’s masterful handling of the print medium translates the poem’s absurd humor into a potent visual narrative.
As an essential example of 18th-century British art, this work demonstrates the origins of Hogarth's mature style, blending complex composition with biting social observation. This impressive piece resides in the esteemed collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Because of the cultural and historical weight of the work, high-quality images and related documentation are frequently made available to scholars and the general public through various museum and public domain archives.
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