Hogarth, William (1697 London 1764). Scene in a Madhouse. Rakewell’s last station in the company of an astronomer, geographer, tailor, and pope. But also that of Sarah Young, the unswerving faithful, disgracefully left lover from his student’s days. As a public house also two ladies, particularly as being unconcerned, saunter in these rooms. Engraving by Thomas Cook (c. 1744 – London 1818). Inscribed: Designed by W. Hogarth / Engraved by T. Cook / Published June 1^st. 1797 by G. G. & J. Robinson. Pater-noster Row, London. 35.8 x 42 cm.

The Rake’s Progress VIII. – With multi-verse subtext. – Without the medallion of Britannia at the wall behind Rakewell Hogarth only added in the 3^rd state in 1763. – Cook “made a name for himself as Hogarth engraver, too” (Thieme-Becker). – Of fine chiaroscuro and – contrary to all later Hogarth editions – in the original folio size.

“ The two promenading ladies on the other hand represent that class for which Rake sacrificed everything – money, love, honour, freedom, and finally the mind, too. It is this that scoffs at him on this last plate ”

(Hogarth Catalogue Zurich 1983).
Offer no. 7,519 / EUR  271. / export price EUR  257. (c. US$ 333.) + shipping

– – – The same in Hogarth’s own etching in an impression from the plate reworked by the royal engraver James Heath (1757 London 1834, “earned applause early”, Nagler) 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”). Inscribed: Invented &c. by W^m. Hogarth & Publish’d According to Act of Parliament June y^e. 25. 1735. / Retouch’d by the Author 1763. 36 x 40.7 cm.

Illustration Hogarth Catalogue Zurich, 1983, 30. – With the Britannia medallion marking the 3^rd state. – On wide-margined buff paper.
Offer no. 7,662 / EUR  84. (c. US$ 109.) + shipping

– – – The same in Cook’s smaller repetition without the subtext here replaced by the series title, again without the Britannia medallion. Inscribed: Pl. II. / Hogarth pinx^t. / T. Cook sculp^t. / Published by Longman, Hurst, Rees, & Orme, March 1^st. 1808. Subject size 14.3 x 17.1 cm. – Trimmed within the wide white platemark.
Offer no. 8,873 / EUR  35. (c. US$ 45.) + shipping

– – – The same in engraving by Carl Heinrich Rahl (Hoffenheim 1779 – Vienna 1843). (1818/23.) Inscribed: 20. / Pl. 8. 21 x 26.7 cm. – With the Britannia medallion and thus after Hogarth’s 3^rd state of 1763.
Offer no. 7,663 / EUR  40. (c. US$ 52.) + shipping

– – – The same in engraving as before by Ernst Ludwig Riepenhausen (1765 Göttingen 1840, university engraver there). Inscribed: 20. / W. Hogarth inv. & pinx. Riepenhausen del & sculps. / Pl. 8. 20 x 24.3 cm. – Early though somewhat flat impression. – Riepenhausen’s engravings after Hogarth (“very estimable”, Nagler) belong to his chief work and are partly even preferred to Hogarth’s own engravings.
Offer no. 7,664 / EUR  50. (c. US$ 65.) + shipping

– – – The same by Riepenhausen as before, but on slightly toned minor paper.
Offer no. 14,431 / EUR  43. (c. US$ 56.) + shipping

– – – The same by Riepenhausen as before, but on especially buff paper, supposedly about 1850. – The foxing spots at the back showing through quite weakly only in the wide white plate and papermargin. – Of fine contrast.
Offer no. 14,432 / EUR  60. (c. US$ 78.) + shipping

– – – The same in lithography. (1833/36.) Inscribed: 74. / Leben eines Liederlichen 8^tes Blatt. 22.5 x 22 cm. – Extensive subtext à la Lichtenberg in German.
Offer no. 7,665 / EUR  43. (c. US$ 56.) + shipping

– – – The same in steel engraving about 1840. 13.2 x 15 cm. – With title in German + English.
Offer no. 7,666 / EUR  19. (c. US$ 25.) + shipping

Complete copies of the set and further single plates available .

“ Thank you Mr. Niemeyer – I will take it! … It should look very nice in my new office. Best regards ”

(Mr. J. R. L., January 6, 2006)