1750
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Southwark Fair is a 1750 by William Hogarth, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This print shows a chaotic, crowded fair with people packed into a small village square. A wooden stage with actors performs in the middle, while a flag with a cross flies high. Around them, people drink, talk, and watch—some standing, some sitting at tables. Above, windows spill out with more scenes: a gallows, a church, and a theater. The whole image is packed with tiny details, like signs, animals, and odd characters. One odd detail is the gallows scene in the upper left, where a noose hangs above a crowd of onlookers. It’s tucked into the background like a dark joke. Check out the Victoria and Albert Museum to see this print in person.
The print depicts Southwark Fair, with the show cloth portraying *The Stage Mutiny* based on an etching by Jean Laguerre. Produced by William Hogarth in 1750, it is rendered on paper.
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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