The Industrious 'Prentice Alderman of London, The Idle One Brought Before Him and Impeached by his Accomplices (Industry and Idleness, plate 10)

The Industrious 'Prentice Alderman of London, The Idle One Brought Before Him and Impeached by his Accomplices (Industry and Idleness, plate 10) is a pivotal work by William Hogarth, executed in 1747. This powerful print is the tenth plate in the highly influential moralistic series Industry and Idleness, a visual sermon designed to contrast the successful path of the diligent apprentice, Francis Goodchild, with the inevitable downfall of the lazy Tom Rakewell. Created using the complex relief technique of etching and engraving, the work is documented as the second state of two, reflecting Hogarth’s careful refinement of his widely published prints.

The scene captures the dramatic climax of the narrative cycle. Francis Goodchild, embodying the rewards of virtue, now sits in judgment as an Alderman of London. Before him stands Tom Rakewell, whose reckless choices have led to his arrest and subsequent appearance in court. The composition is highly theatrical, filled with diverse figures-both men and women-who represent the public spectacle and moral scrutiny inherent in 18th-century judicial processes. Hogarth details the shame of the idle apprentice, who is impeached not only by the court but by his former criminal accomplices, brought in to testify against him.

As a widely disseminated print, this piece exemplifies Hogarth’s accessible narrative art, intended to influence public morality and provide commentary on contemporary social practices. The complete Industry and Idleness series was crucial to the artist's commercial success and legacy. This important historical and artistic record of Georgian social critique is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.