Time Smoking a Picture

"Time Smoking a Picture" by William Hogarth is a powerful satirical print created in 1761, late in the artist’s career. Executed skillfully in the complex technique of etching and mezzotint, this work serves as Hogarth’s final major commentary, utilizing allegory to satirize the damaging effects of time, neglect, and shifting fashion on art.

The piece centers on the personification of Time, depicted as an aged, winged figure identifiable by his traditional accoutrements: a scythe and an hourglass. Instead of merely passing, Time is shown actively destroying a nearby canvas. Seated atop a broken classical bust, Time holds a long pipe and blows corrosive smoke and soot directly onto the surface of a painting, effectively obliterating its quality and diminishing its visual integrity. This biting critique functions as a metaphor for the way masterpieces decay, whether through physical aging, careless restoration, or the subjective tyranny of changing critical taste. Hogarth often used the medium of prints, circulated widely, to disseminate his social commentary, ensuring that his sharp wit reached a broad audience.

This specific impression represents the second state of three, documenting the stages of Hogarth's meticulous work on the copper plate before its final publication. The successful use of both etching for detail and mezzotint for rich, shadowy tones adds texture and depth to the pessimistic narrative. Recognized as an important piece of 18th-century British satire, demonstrating the artist’s mastery as a graphic social critic, this artwork is held within the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As a culturally significant artwork from this period, high-resolution prints and documentation are frequently made available through the public domain for study and reference.