The Roast Beef of Old England

"The Roast Beef of Old England" by William Hogarth English, 1697-1764, is a highly influential satirical print created between 1748 and 1749. This powerful image was executed as an engraving in black on tan wove paper, demonstrating Hogarth's mastery of the reproductive print medium. Dating from a period of intense Anglo-French rivalry following the War of the Austrian Succession, the work satirizes national characteristics, contrasting the robust wealth and freedom of England with the perceived poverty and superstition of France. The scene is set outside the fortified Gate of Calais, a location Hogarth visited and was briefly arrested near, lending the work a sharp sense of personal observation.

The central focus of this engraving is the arrival of a massive side of beef, destined for English consumption, being carried past a group of emaciated and sickly French soldiers and Catholic clergy. Hogarth, 1697-1764, uses visual cues, such as the starving appearance of the populace and the symbolic use of food, to critique the French political and economic state under its monarchical system. The work served as potent propaganda, contrasting the abundance of England with the perceived want across the channel. Hogarth frequently utilized the accessibility of mass-produced prints to distribute his sharp social and political commentary widely.

As a significant example of 18th-century English graphic culture, this piece remains a canonical example of the artist’s output. This historic engraving is held in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, where the work’s status often places high-resolution reproductions within the public domain, ensuring continued scholarly and general access to the image.