Art Institute of Chicago

Plates four, five, and six from A Harlot's Progress

William HogarthLinkedCulture matchlcp-4bc0237dded5

Date

1732/61

Medium

Three etchings from three plates, two in red ink and one in olive green ink, on cream wove paper, laid down on off-white laid paper

Culture

England

Department

Prints and Drawings

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

Object ID

60032

Despite the resounding success of A Harlot’s Progress , William Hogarth waited over ten years to release a second edition. Before the implementation of the 1735 Engraver’s Act, he had little recourse to combat plagiarism. This rare unmounted fan leaf is printed with colorful, reduced-scale etchings of the harlot’s entry into the workhouse, final moments, and funeral. A complete fan would have boasted the three earlier scenes on the other side; indeed, the folds in the paper suggest the impression may once have been fitted for use. Hogarth is said to have given such moralizing items to his servants.

The authoritative record is held by Art Institute of Chicago. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.