1750
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
The Distressed Poet is a 1750 by William Hogarth, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This print shows a messy room with four people inside. A woman in a cap stands near a fireplace, holding a cat while another woman sits on the floor with a dog. An older man in a wig scratches his head at a cluttered desk, surrounded by books and papers. A younger man in a hat leans against the wall, looking down. The title *The Distressed Poet* hints this scene might mock struggling artists. The room is packed with objects—books, tools, and even a birdcage—suggesting chaos in creative spaces. Check out the Victoria and Albert Museum to see this print in person.
The print *The Distressed Poet*, created in 1750 on paper, reproduces William Hogarth’s earlier oil painting from around 1736. It was issued alongside *The Enraged Musician* as a companion piece in its third state. The work depicts a struggling writer in a cramped attic, surrounded by the chaos of domestic life and financial hardship.
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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