Minneapolis Institute of Art

The Sleeping Congregation

William Hogarth

Date

1736

Medium

Etching and engraving

Department

European Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Human weakness was an endless source of humor for Hogarth, and his pointed satires sought to draw lessons through full disclosure of people's failings. Here religion-a frequent target of caricature-takes a backseat to more basic needs; sleep and sex, not piety, captivate the faithful during Sunday services. A shortsighted old preacher clutches his magnifying glass as he delivers what is surely a long-winded and dull sermon. Meanwhile, the undignified congregants appear in different stages of slumber, and a portly clerk sneaks an amorous glance at the bosom of a young maiden who sleeps, her dream colored by her biblical reading on matrimony. Hogarth was a master storyteller, incisively capturing the characters and customs of his time in amusing narratives. England, Europe

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