The New Metamorphosis, Plate 7: The Cardinal, a Hermit and Donna Angela Holding Fantasio

The New Metamorphosis, Plate 7: The Cardinal, a Hermit and Donna Angela Holding Fantasio, created by William Hogarth between 1723 and 1724, is a sharp example of early eighteenth-century English satirical prints. Executed with the meticulous precision of etching and engraving, this impression represents the second known state of the work. As part of a wider series, the piece contributes to Hogarth’s burgeoning reputation as a master of visual narrative and social critique.

Hogarth utilizes the complex medium to construct a deeply allegorical scene focused on specific characters—a Cardinal, a Hermit, and Donna Angela—who are often situated amidst natural elements such as trees, reflecting the common use of landscape settings in period storytelling. The interaction between these specific men and women, holding the ambiguous figure of Fantasio, suggests a critique aimed at the hypocrisy of religious, aristocratic, and romantic life during the Georgian era. References to animals, sometimes subtle or symbolic in the background, further underscore the moralizing dimensions of the composition.

The technique of etching and engraving facilitated the widespread distribution of Hogarth’s often controversial subjects across London. Prints such as this were foundational to the artist’s career, establishing his role in defining modern narrative art in Britain. The work is particularly valuable for demonstrating the shift toward sequential visual narratives. This historically significant piece resides in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, preserving a vital record of public domain art and the development of the print medium in the 1720s.