The Idle 'Prentice Betrayed by his Whore and Taken in a Night Cellar with his Accomplice (Industry and Idleness, plate 9)

The Idle 'Prentice Betrayed by his Whore and Taken in a Night Cellar with his Accomplice (Industry and Idleness, plate 9) is a powerful etching and engraving created by William Hogarth in 1747. This print, executed in the third state of four, exemplifies Hogarth’s mastery of graphic satire and narrative complexity, forming a crucial link in his famed moralizing cycle.

As the ninth installment in the cautionary series Industry and Idleness, the scene depicts the dramatic apprehension of the protagonist, Tom Idle. Having descended into a life of crime and debauchery, Idle is caught in a squalid night cellar, a recognized haunt of London’s criminal underworld. Hogarth employs a dense composition, capturing the frantic atmosphere as Idle is betrayed by the woman he trusted and surrounded by constables and his accomplice. The image is densely populated with various characters, showcasing the artist’s sharp observation of 18th-century social stratification and vice among both men and women. The meticulous detail in the etching highlights the grime and desperation of the environment, reinforcing the didactic nature of the series.

The graphic nature of this print made the series immensely popular upon publication, disseminating Hogarth’s moralizing message widely through inexpensive prints that were accessible across social classes. This particular impression of The Idle 'Prentice Betrayed resides in the esteemed collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The piece remains a crucial example of British narrative printmaking, and high-quality images of this foundational work are often made available through public domain initiatives, ensuring its continued study by scholars of 18th-century art and culture.