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The Life and Art of William Hogarth By Mabry Dowling
Introduction
William Hogarth was known for his independent and self assertive character. He was an extremely outspoken man, who said what was on his mind. This strong personality can be seen throughout his many satirical works. I chose to research and piece together this booklet of William Hogarth due to our similar personalities and his unique style. While reading about his life, I could see myself in him. We both share a strong independent personality as well as a love of theater. Our similarities caught my attention and caused me to become intrigued by the accomplishments of his life. Not only was he a strong character, he also strove to call out corruption and break tradition. His boldness is admirable and caused change in his day that would likely not have other wise been possible. All of these characteristics are what made William Hogarth the immensely influential and important artist that he was.
The Life of William Hogarth
William Hogarth was born in London, England on November 10, 1697 to his father, Richard Hogarth, who was an unsuccessful school master. Richard Hogarth was well educated but was unable to find success in teaching. This unsuccess caused his family to fall into severe debt. Eventually, Richard Hogarth was arrested for his extreme debt and was imprisoned for four years. For those four years, Hogarth had to work with his mother to support his two sisters, Mary and Anne. Growing up in poverty gave Hogarth a unique perspective on the world. It also contributed to his independent and self assertive personality that stayed with him for the rest of his life. Since his father could not find success despite his traditional education, Hogarth had no interest in the scholarly world. Instead, he found interest in doodling characters and visiting the workshop of a local painter. Hogarth enjoyed the arts, but he also craved stability due to the instability of his childhood. To guarantee stability, he began his apprenticeship with a local silversmith at the age of 15.
As an apprentice, Hogarth learned many crafts including silver engravings and copper etched plates. During his apprenticeship, Hogarth found a love for theater, fun, and the humorous behaviors of humans. This led to his inevitable decision that trade was not entertaining enough for him. At the age of 23, he left his apprenticeship and opened his own workshop in London where he made money as a copper engraver for bookmakers. He disliked book illustration though due to his dependence on the bookmakers, so in 1724, he joined a drawing school in St. Martin's Lane. This drawing school is where William Hogarth found is escape from the rigidness of his trade. While continuing to work at his workshop in order to make money, Hogarth attending drawing school in order to satisfy his need for creativity.
Hogarth first began creating small paintings called conversational paintings, which depicted groups of people completing everyday tasks. These paintings were inspired by the art of the Rococo period. Eventually he also grew tired of the repetitiveness of the conversational pieces and began painting comedic narratives. These paintings were made of several paintings that were meant to be read in order as a comedic story. They were based on observations Hogarth made of London and theater performances that Hogarth watched. During these years, Hogarth eloped with Jane Thornhill in 1729. They were a happy couple but never had any kids. In 1751, Hogarth grew angry at the little money his portraits were making at auctions, so he shifted his focus to painting poverty and social issues prevalent in London. He continued painting for the rest of his life and never wavered from his outspoken character. During his final years, Hogarth was considered the first artist to help form a style of painting that was entirely native to England. He also laid the foundation for the English School of Art. William Hogarth's unusual life gave him a unique perspective on life that allowed him to accomplish amazing things that would not have otherwise been possible.
Hogarth's style is best described as satirical and realistic. He achieved his personal style by rejecting traditional teaching styles, which was inevitable with Hogarth's head strong personality. While he was in drawing school, Hogarth's teachers expecting him to learn through copying other artists works. Instead, Hogarth enjoyed going out in London to see plays and to socialize with local intellects. His unique visual memory allowed him to picture the events he witnessed during his nights out. While painting and sketching, he would replicate humorous human behaviors or memorable scenes from theater. Observing humorous human behaviors, was how Hogarth discovered the subjects of his paintings.
By basing his works off of real life events, Hogarth created a "natural" appearance to his paintings. The figures in his images featured genuine expressions and realistic poses. All of which are characteristics of the "natural" movement. Using this method also made his images appear "candid" rather than stiff and posed. This particular attribute can be seen in Hogarth's painting entitled "The Graham Children."
While his later paintings were clearly characteristic of the "natural" movement, his earlier conversational paintings were reminiscent of the Rococo period. He also was inspired by Sir James Thornhill, a prominent artist who adapted the late Baroque style. Sir James Thornhill shared similar values with Hogarth. They both believed in the importance of the social respectability of artists and the vitality of native art. William Hogarth admired Sir James Thornhill so much that he attended his drawing school to learn from him first hand. Surprisingly, William Hogarth even married his daughter Jane in 1729.
Hogarth's style was the first artistic style native to England. He strongly supported the importance of native art and spent his lifetime creating one for his home country. He also is partially credited for the creation of comic strips. His satirical prints of political and social issues laid the foundations for the future comic strips. He also helped to lay the foundation for the English School of Art.
"The Beggar's Opera" - 1729
Oil on canvas
Yale Centre for British Art
"Portrait of a Family" - 1734
Oil on canvas
Yale Centre for British Art
Six of William Hogarth's Works"A Midnight Modern Conversation" -1732
Oil on canvas
Yale Centre for British Art
"An Election Entertainment" - 1754
Oil on canvas
Sir John Soane's Museum
This photo shows a family of children posing realistically for a family portrait. It is interesting that Hogarth chose to paint the children's facial expressions as more genuine expressions instead of superficial smiles. It gives the painting a "candid" feel to speak in photography terms. The dark background is also greatly contrasted by the children's pale skin. This contrast highlights the family's faces. It is also interesting to note that Hogarth chose to include what appears like the family's pets (cat and bird) in the photo. It makes me wonder whose idea it was to include them. Hogarth's? The family? The children? These aspects all work together to create a relaxed feeling that is similar to my own family photos. The composition of the figures makes the painting clearly a family and not just a group of strangers.
"The Graham Children" - 1742
Oil on canvas
National Gallery
London, UK
This painting is one of my favorites that William Hogarth created during his lifetime. The colors in the painting are generally dull except for the clothing of the man and woman. This highlights them as the main focus of the painting. The natural positioning of the features makes the painting feel more genuine, which is a characteristic of the "natural" movement. The messy dresser in the background of the photo adds to the chaos of the painting. The painting makes me think that it is portraying a fight between two lovers. The woman irritatingly pushing away the man makes it seem like he has just said something that has angered her. The way the man is holding onto the woman and the look on his face makes me think that he regrets making her angry and wants to make it up to her. I love the many details Hogarth included in this painting to portray the story fully. Every detail such as the barking dog, adds something to the painting. The painting is both comedic and moving at the same time.
"Before" - 1730
Oil on canvas
Getty Center
References
A scene from the beggar’s opera. (n.d.). Nga.gov. Retrieved April 17, 2024, from https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.61392.html
Benenson, S. E. (2024). William Hogarth. In Encyclopedia Britannica.
File:William Hogarth - portrait of a family - Google art project.Jpg. (n.d.). Wikimedia.org. Retrieved April 17, 2024, from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:William_Hogarth_-_Portrait_of_a_Family_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg
Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). File:William Hogarth 028.jpg.
Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:William_Hogarth_028.jpg
(N.d.). Artcyclopedia.com. Retrieved April 17, 2024, from http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/hogarth_william.html