1750
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
A Just View of the British Stage is a 1750 by William Hogarth, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This print is packed with chaotic action. Skeletons, actors, and odd characters fill a cramped stage. One skeleton holds a sign reading "Jack Hall," while another leans on a broom. A ghostly figure labeled "Ben Jonson’s Ghost" lurks near a pile of bricks and a broken harpsichord. The scene is messy, with tangled ropes, scattered props, and a mix of costumes and masks. The title at the top hints this is a satire of theater—specifically, a farce mixing old plays and new gags. The text below jokes about "excrements" (gingerbread, to be polite) and a "Hay Dance," showing how absurd the show is meant to be. Next, check out the Victoria and Albert Museum to see this print up close.
The print *A Just View of the British Stage* by William Hogarth, dated 1750, is an engraving on paper that satirizes the contemporary theatrical scene in Britain. The title references the phrase "three heads are better than one," implying a collaborative or critical perspective on the stage.
Read the full account in the museum source.
William Hogarth (; 10 November 1697 – 26 October 1764) was an English painter, engraver, satirist, cartoonist and writer.
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