The Seraglio (Aubry de La Mottraye's "Travels throughout Europe, Asia and into Part of Africa...," London, 1724, vol. I, pl. 18)

The Seraglio (Aubry de La Mottraye's "Travels throughout Europe, Asia and into Part of Africa...," London, 1724, vol. I, pl. 18) is a significant print by William Hogarth, executed between 1723 and 1724. This detailed illustration served as Plate 18 in the published travelogue of Aubry de La Mottraye, an influential volume intended to inform and entertain British readers about non-European cultures. Executed through the intricate process of etching and engraving, the medium allowed Hogarth to capture the complex architecture and voluminous details necessary for exotic settings. This impression, classified as the second state of two, represents the finalized design for commercial distribution.

The subject matter centers on an imagined view of an Ottoman seraglio interior, a highly popular yet often mythologized setting in early eighteenth-century European literature and art. Hogarth depicts a lively and ornate chamber populated by numerous men and women. The action prominently features a performance of dancing, a scene common in travel accounts that emphasized the perceived opulence and spectacle of foreign royal courts. By combining exotic interiors with specific interactions among the figures, Hogarth provides a visual interpretation of De La Mottraye’s written account, demonstrating his early proficiency as a professional printmaker before his rise to fame with his independent satirical series.

This important early work by Hogarth is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The piece offers valuable insight into the commissioning of illustrations for early modern travel narratives. As an illustration of a public domain text, this image and subsequent prints have long provided access to historical representations of the seraglio, showcasing Hogarth's foundational capacity for detailed figure composition and architectural rendering.