The First Stage of Cruelty

1751

William Hogarth

Associated Names
William Hogarth

Artist, English, 1697 - 1764

This is a drawing of scenes of animal cruelty. The scene is set in a street with buildings in the background, featuring a church steeple and a rooftop weather vane. The drawing depicts individuals engaging in and witnessing activities of animal cruelty. In the foreground, a figure with a covered face is attempting to hang a cat suspended from a lamppost, while another reaches out anxiously. Below them, several individuals appear to be harming dogs. One person is inserting an arrow into the ground behind one of the animals. Another figure on the left is tormenting a dog with a large stick, while on the ground, a man is harming another dog and a snake. Some individuals are watching and some appear to be participating in these acts with enjoyment. The architecture suggests an urban environment, with brickwork and street lamps providing context. The overall mood is chaotic and distressing, reflecting inhumanity and indifference towards suffering.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    etching and engraving

  • Credit Line

    Rosenwald Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet: 38.3 × 31.7 cm (15 1/16 × 12 1/2 in.)
    mount (irreg.): 43.1 × 35.5 cm (16 15/16 × 14 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1944.5.36

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Paulson 1965, no. 187, State i/ii

  • Series Title

    The Four Stages of Cruelty

Associated Artworks

See all 114 artworks
The image depicts an engraving of a seated man facing slightly to the right with his body turned slightly to the left. The man has prominent facial features, including large eyes, a prominent nose, and a closed mouth. He wears a fur hat, a dark coat, and a buttoned shirt with a white collar. A pug dog sits beside him, facing the viewer. Objects like books, an artist's palette, brushes, and a cloth are scattered around them. In the background is a draped curtain, and at the bottom is the inscription "Gulielmus Hogarth."

Gulielmus Hogarth

William Hogarth

1748

Collected Works of William Hogarth

William Hogarth

1697

This is a drawing of character profiles and caricatures. The drawing consists of profiles of faces depicted in a stylized manner on one side, and as exaggerated caricatures on the other side. Varying facial expressions and features are shown, with a row dividing the characters and caricatures to illustrate the difference through levels of exaggeration.

Characters and Caricaturas

William Hogarth

1743


Artwork history & notes

Exhibition History

1967

  • William Hogarth, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, VA, 1967.

Bibliography

1965

  • Paulson, Ronald. Hogarth's Graphic Works. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1965. Rev. ed., 1970.

Wikidata ID

Q65026801

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