The Industrious 'Prentice grown rich & Sheriff of London

The Industrious 'Prentice grown rich & Sheriff of London by William Hogarth is a powerful etching and engraving created in 1747. This specific print serves as the climactic Plate 12 of Hogarth’s highly influential narrative series, Industry and Idleness (1747). Created during the mid-eighteenth century (falling within the 1726 to 1750 period), this work exemplifies the moralizing didactic tradition popular in British art, arguing that diligent labor and virtue lead inevitably to prosperity and high civic standing.

Hogarth, known as a master satirist and graphic artist, utilized the combined techniques of etching and engraving to achieve the detailed precision necessary for depicting complex urban scenes. The image celebrates the series’ protagonist, Francis Goodchild, who, through his industry and moral uprightness, has achieved the prestigious position of Sheriff of London. This scene of public triumph reinforces the ethical lessons underlying the entire series, contrasting sharply with the tragic trajectory of Thomas Idle, the idle apprentice. Hogarth’s composition is characteristic of his style, presenting a crowded and detailed tableau that comments incisively on contemporary London life, class structure, and religious virtue.

The widespread publication of these prints cemented Hogarth's role as a leading figure in 18th-century graphic arts, ensuring that his moral narratives reached a broad audience. This piece is a historically significant example of British popular culture and the artistic dissemination of social commentary. Today, this print, The Industrious 'Prentice grown rich & Sheriff of London, is held in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art. Works such as this, often entering the public domain due to their age and historical classification as prints, continue to be essential resources for studying early modern visual culture.