The  Silver  Age

Hogarth, William (1697 London 1764). Quarrels with the Jew Protector or The (Double) Betrayal. The surprising visit of the rich Jew at Mary Hackabout at which he experiences his mistress quite originally and, besides, will loose his clock. In the background Mary’s maid guides the more ordinary suitor taken from last night’s masked ball on tiptoe to the door. Thus the noise of the overthrown tea-table shall cover his exit. Engraving by Thomas Cook (c. 1744 – London 1818). Inscribed: Pl. 2. / Designed by W. Hogarth. / Engraved by T. Cook / London, Published by G. G. & J. Robinson, Paternoster Row, June 1^st. 1798. and series title. 36.3 x 41.5 cm.

Harlots Progress II. – Harmonic impression of fine chiaroscuro on buff paper. In the lower right corner of the papermargin nearly imperceptible waterstreak. Beyond that – contrary to all later Hogarth editions – in the original folio format. – Cook “made a name for himself as Hogarth engraver, too” (Thieme-Becker). – The second sheet of the set and together Mary’s social zenith:

“ Higher than here little Pandema will not rise. It is her silver age; tea-table, tea-kettle, and whatever else, is from this metal. Her golden time she had in Yorkshire – without gold: the silver in London among silver, and that is worth much more – for a young girl. And how many men think better? ”

(Lichtenberg).

The pictures at the wall in the background reflect and accompany the scene. The first, placed above of last night’s lover, shows Jona besides the tree dried up over night because of the poisonous sting of a worm as symbol of the now destroyed relation between Mary and her wealthy protector. Next to it in allusion to the Jew who “keeps a Christian mistress and thus offends against his religion” (Hogarth Catalogue Zurich, 1983) and parallel to the tea-table as further Old Testamentarian scene the Ark of the Convenant falling down, and, against the prohibition of the Lord and therefore with according consequences, supported by Ussa, son of Abinadabs. Below finally the portrait of the free-thinker Thomas Woolaston (1670-1733) who “wrote a defence of the Christian religion against the Jews” (Lichtenberg).

The original paintings of this set of six stations in the life of a prostitute from about 1730 were destroyed by fire already about 1755 by the way.
Offer no. 7,506 / EUR  291. / export price EUR  276. (c. US$ 357.) + shipping

– – – The same in Hogarth’s own etching in the 3^rd state of 1744. Inscribed: Plate 2. / † / W^m. Hogarth inv^t. pinx^t. et sculp^t. 31.8 x 38.2 cm.

Illustration Hogarth Catalogue Zurich, 1983, 14 (4^th state). – Fine, contrast-rich impression, perhaps from the complete edition Boydell published 1790-1809. – On buff, virtually extremely wide-margined paper. Several small tears right and below backed acid-freely.
Offer no. 14,549 / EUR  189. (c. US$ 245.) + shipping

– – – – The same in Hogarth’s own etching, supposedly from the plate reworked by the royal engraver James Heath (1757 London 1834) about 1822

(“Even these impressions became relatively rare today though”, Art Gallery Esslingen 1970; and Meyers Konv.-Lex., 4^th ed., VIII [1888], 625: “A fine edition”). – On buff, extraordinarily wide-margined paper.
Offer no. 14,438 / EUR  148. (c. US$ 191.) + shipping

– – – The same in engraving by Carl Heinrich Rahl (Hoffenheim 1779 – Vienna 1843). (1818/23.) Inscribed: 8. / Plate 2. 21.1 x 26.7 cm.
Offer no. 7,622 / EUR  66. (c. US$ 85.) + shipping

– – – The same in engraving by Ernst Ludwig Riepenhausen (1765 Göttingen 1840, university engraver there). Inscribed: 8. / Plate 2. / Hogarth inv. pinx. Riepenhausen del. sc. 20.6 x 24.7 cm. – Impression on especially buff paper, supposedly about 1850. – The white margin slightly glue-stained. – 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.
Offer no. 7,623 / EUR  87. (c. US$ 113.) + shipping

– – – The same in lithography. (1833/36.) Inscribed: 14. / Lith. v. Böhme / Der Weg einer Buhlerin. 2^tes. Blatt. 20.2 x 21.2 cm. – Extensive subtext à la Lichtenberg in German.
Offer no. 7,624 / EUR  95. (c. US$ 123.) + shipping

Complete copies of the set and further single plates available .

„ Greetings from your Italian friend and Beethoven collector … Please inform me … “

(Sign. L. B., December 10, 2005)