The Innkeeper's Wife & Daughter taking Care of ye Don after being beaten & bruised (Six Illustrations for Don Quixote)

The Innkeeper's Wife & Daughter taking Care of ye Don after being beaten & bruised (Six Illustrations for Don Quixote) by William Hogarth is a distinguished example of 18th-century British printmaking. Executed in 1756, this detailed work utilizes the techniques of etching and engraving, confirmed as the third state of three. This particular illustration is one of six subjects Hogarth created based on Miguel de Cervantes’s foundational novel, a literary source that enjoyed immense popularity throughout the Georgian era.

The scene captures an intimate, yet somewhat farcical, aftermath following one of the misguided hero's many physical setbacks. Hogarth focuses the composition on the domestic efforts of the innkeeper’s wife and daughter (the Women of the scene), who are seen tending to the bruised Don Quixote. This act of mundane care provided to the delusional Men of the narrative effectively contrasts the knight’s fantastical self-image with the harsh realities of his adventures, a core thematic element of Cervantes’s satire.

Though renowned for his narrative series and moral subjects, Hogarth’s engagement with established literary texts showcases his versatility in adapting complex stories for visual consumption. The precision required for etching and engraving ensured that prints of works like this could be widely circulated among the public. Classified as an important 18th-century print, the work resides in the extensive collection of European drawings and prints at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Because of its historical significance and age, this masterwork is often available for scholarly study through public domain resources.