Hogarth, William (1697 London 1764). Harlots Progress. 6-sheet set. Engravings by Ernst Ludwig Riepenhausen (1765 Göttingen 1840, university engraver there). Inscribed: (7-12). / (A Harlots Progress) Plate (1-6). / W. Hogarth inv(^t). pinx(^t). R(iepenhausen) (del./d.) f(c). 19.8-20.4 x 24.4-25.4 cm.

Ensnared by a Procuress – Quarrels with her Jew Protector – Apprehended by a Magistrate – Scene in Bridewell – Expires while the Doctors are Disputing – The Funeral Company .

Riepenhausen’s engravings after Hogarth (“very estimable”, Nagler) belong to his chief work and not least for their side-correctness they are partly even preferred to Hogarth’s own engravings. – Impressions on slightly toned minor paper.

“ For the first time here Hogarth introduces contemporary personalities known all over the town as the London Judge of Peace Sir John Gonson, the notorious owner of a brothel Mother Needham or the ill-famed Colonel Francis Charteris according to their social role into the action of his pictures. By this he touches two sensational scandals at the same time: the notorious Mother Needham was detained in 1731 and tormented to death by the people, and when the Colonel Francis Charteris died in 1732 loaded with disgrace his neighbours tried to drag him out of the coffin, and threw dead dogs and cats into his grave. Both are essential for the fate of the country girl on sheet 1. In 1730 a London paper reported on the unlawful behaviour of the known prostitute Kate Hackabout. Hogarth’s prostitute is also named Hackabout … ”

(Hogarth Catalogue Zurich, 1983).

As usually rich in details on persons and actions Lichtenberg introduces his annotations on the set

“ By the six sheets here Hogarth mainly founded the great fame at first, which he, despite of all disputes by many now forgotten men, enjoyed always unimpaired, even down to this very hour undividedly … He got 12,000 subscribers for this; one has brought them onto coffee pots for taking to heart, and depicted on sun fans, for viewing in the heat and looking beneath in the need. The most funny heads of the time then quoted the acting persons of these sketches for the support of the immortal ideas … ”

The original paintings of this set from about 1730 were destroyed by fire already about 1755 by the way.
Offer no. 7,614 / EUR  399. / export price EUR  379. (c. US$ 490.) + shipping

– – – The same in steel engraving about 1840. 12.5-13.3 x 14.3-14.9 cm. – Series title in German + English.
Offer no. 7,615 / EUR  138. (c. US$ 179.) + shipping

Single sujets of the set available in several qualities.

„ Best her Niemeyer, De prenten zijn vanmiddag in goede staat gearriveerd. Alleen al het uitpakken is een genot! Ze zien er prachtig uit (vooral The Idel ’prentice is een juweel) … Wat dat betreft, zijn eigenlijk alle prenten die u mij hebt toegezonde, van uitstekende kwaliteit … “

(de heer P. E., 1. Februar 2008)