The Rape of the Lock

The Rape of the Lock by William Hogarth is presented here as a lithographed copy of an earlier engraving, currently residing in the vast collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. While the original Hogarth illustration dates back to the mid-18th century, reflecting the peak of his career as a satirist and engraver, this specific print was executed sometime between 1800 and 1900. This later reproduction demonstrates the enduring popularity of the artist’s visual commentaries throughout the Georgian and Victorian eras. Classified simply as a print, the work showcases the transition in printing technology, moving from intricate copperplate engraving to the more easily reproducible technique of lithography for mass dissemination.

Hogarth’s visual narrative directly references Alexander Pope’s celebrated 1712 mock-heroic poem of the same name, which satirized the petty feuds and elaborate social rituals of high society. The scene typically depicts an intimate, often dramatic, interaction between men and women of the aristocratic class, set within a lavish domestic interior. It illustrates the central conflict: the cavalier 'Baron' seizing a lock of hair from the beautiful 'Belinda,' a trivial act treated with mock-epic grandeur.

As a widely reproduced lithographed print, this piece offers a clear example of how Hogarth’s highly detailed compositions were kept in circulation long after his death in 1764. The ability to produce multiple prints easily ensured that images by Hogarth, a master of sequential social satire and visual moralizing, remained prominent in British visual culture throughout the 19th century. Today, many historical copies of his most famous pieces, including variations on The Rape of the Lock, exist in the public domain, cementing Hogarth’s legacy as a key figure in 18th-century graphic art whose themes resonated for generations.