The Adventure of the Bear and the Fiddle (Plate 3: Illustrations to Samuel Butler's Hudibras)

The Adventure of the Bear and the Fiddle (Plate 3: Illustrations to Samuel Butler's Hudibras) is an early eighteenth-century print by William Hogarth, executed between 1725 and 1730. This detailed work, created through the complex processes of etching and engraving, serves as an illustration for Samuel Butler's influential satirical poem, Hudibras. Hogarth, known for his ability to translate societal critiques into vivid visual form, here captures a specific, chaotic scene from the mock-heroic narrative.

The composition is dense and tumultuous, depicting an episode centered around a confrontation. The immediate subject is the "adventure" referenced in the title, likely stemming from a planned or spontaneously interrupted bear-baiting event. The scene involves several agitated men, some armed with rudimentary weapons, grappling in an attempt to control the ensuing melee. A large bear is visible, interacting fiercely with the crowd, while nearby figures struggle with horses, adding an element of dynamic movement to the overall fight. This piece exemplifies Hogarth's early use of graphic satire, characterized by crowded, morally ambiguous settings that define much of his later work.

As a vital early example of Hogarth's commitment to printmaking, this work documents the development of the artist's foundational visual language before his famed "Modern Moral Subjects." The permanence and widespread accessibility achieved through the etching and engraving techniques ensured that these illustrations reached a broad 18th-century public familiar with Butler's text. This significant print is housed within the extensive collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, offering crucial insight into the relationship between literature and visual satire in England during this period.