A Rake's Progress: pl.4
1735
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1735
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
A Rake's Progress: pl.4 is a 1735 ink by William Hogarth, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This chaotic scene shows a crowd of ragged people fighting over a man tied to a post. One woman in a fancy dress stands nearby, looking shocked, while a man in a wig points at the chaos. Above, another man leans out a window, holding a cat and a lantern, watching the scene unfold. The background has buildings and a church steeple, with a smaller group of onlookers in the distance. The man tied up looks like he’s being punished—maybe for debt or bad behavior. The messy clothes and angry faces suggest this isn’t a happy moment. Want to learn more about how this kind of image was made? Check out etching.
