The Bench

The Bench by William Hogarth, created in 1758, is a significant example of the artist's satirical printmaking, executed using the demanding combination of etching and engraving. The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds this impression, specifically identified as the third state out of five, a detail that demonstrates Hogarth’s meticulous process of refinement and revision common in 18th-century prints. This classification denotes the precise moment in the copper plate's evolution when this specific impression was pulled.

Hogarth’s artistic output frequently targeted institutional pomposity and intellectual pretension. While the scene appears deceptively simple, depicting several men seated on the titular bench, the individual actions captured—primarily reading and sleeping—carry subtle social commentary typical of the artist. The seated men are engaged in solitary activities, often oblivious to one another's presence. The figure of a man sleeping, slumped against the backrest, is juxtaposed sharply with others intently reading documents or books. This arrangement suggests a contrast between diligence and idleness, or perhaps a critique of the intellectual dryness often associated with the legal or scholarly texts the men are presumed to be consuming.

As a leading figure in English art during the Georgian era, Hogarth used his widely distributed prints to comment sharply on contemporary life, jurisprudence, and politics. This piece remains a key reference point for understanding 18th-century graphic satire. Because of the artwork’s age and cultural importance, it often falls within the public domain, allowing modern art historians and enthusiasts wide access to the intricate details of Hogarth's line work. This print is an enduring example of how Hogarth used common subjects to deliver potent visual commentary.