The Distressed Poet

1736/1737

William Hogarth

Associated Names
William Hogarth

Artist, English, 1697 - 1764

This is an engraving of an interior scene. The image shows a detailed and richly furnished domestic environment, characterized by disorder and clutter. A woman sits in a chair to the left, sewing or mending a garment, while a man in work clothes appears to be talking to her. In the background, a fireplace is adorned with decorative plates, and an animal is curled up in front of it. On the right side, another man is seated at a cluttered desk surrounded by books and papers. The beams of the ceiling and wooden floorboards add authenticity to the 18th-century interior depiction.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    etching and engraving

  • Credit Line

    Rosenwald Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet: 43.3 × 54.7 cm (17 1/16 × 21 9/16 in.)
    mount: 46.6 × 62.7 cm (18 3/8 × 24 11/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1944.5.80

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Paulson 1965, no. 145, State i/iii

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

Bibliography

1965

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

Wikidata ID

Q65026902

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