Hogarth, William (1697 London 1764). Daily cruelty to animals on the streets of London. A rich assortment of street urchins finding pleasure in tormenting animals by partially simply brute, partially more refined though simple means. In the centre Tom Nero doing his masterpiece, the torture of a dog Hogarth took from Callot’s Temptation of Saint Anthony. From which he cannot be kept by a boy of better descent and aptitude, supposedly the then 13 years old George III. Meanwhile another boy anticipates the conclusion of Tom Nero’s development and sketches him on the wall as hanging on the gallows. Engraving. Inscribed: Design’d by W. Hogarth. / Published according to Act of Parliament Feb. 1. 1751. 39 x 32.3 cm.

The Four Stages of Cruelty I. – With 12lined subtext in three verses by supposedly Rev. James Townley:

“ While various Scenes of sportive Woe / The Infant Race employ,
And tortur’d Victims bleeding shew / The Tyrant in the Boy.

Behold! a Youth of gentler Heart, / To spare the Creature’s pain
O take, he cries – take all ma Tart, / But Tears and Tart are vain.

Learn from this fair Examples – You / Whom savage Sports delight,
How Cruelty disgusts the view / While Pity charms the sight. ”

The  famous  sujet  by which Hogarth successfully tried to call the attention to the brutalization of the lower classes already laid to in the “pleasures” of the youth:

“ The four stages of cruelty were done in hopes of preventing in some degree that cruel treatment of poor Animals which makes the streets of London more disagreeable to the human mind than anything whatever, the very describing of which gives pain … ”

A purpose Hogarth by the way succeeded in and thus broke an early lance for the prevention of cruelty to animals:

“ … there is no part of my works of which I am so proud, and in which I feel so happy as in the series of the four Stages of Cruelty because I believe the publication of them has checked the diabolical spirit of barbarty, which, I am sorry to say was once so prevalent in this country … I had rather, if cruelty has been prevented by the four prints, be maker of them than of the (Raphael) cartoons, unless I lived in a Roman Catholic country ”.

In the figure of George III together a pun as “noble” stands for both “of noble birth” and “noble-minded”. Accordingly “Neronian” in a figurative sense “blood-thirsty, cruel” (Kunsthaus Zürich). And thus an acting earthly justice will finally bring Tom Nero, the arch-rogue of this set, first on the gallows, then into the anatomic theatre. The latter due to common prejudices of especially deterring effect.

Harmonic impression, perhaps from the complete edition published by Boydell 1790-1809. – Some backed small tears in the broad white and a waterstreak in the upper left corner.
Offer no. 14,406 / EUR  220. (c. US$ 306.) + shipping

– – The same. 38.7 x 32.3 cm. – Deep impression from the plate reworked by the Royal engraver James Heath (1757 London 1834) about 1822.
Offer no. 14,407 / EUR  220. (c. US$ 306.) + shipping

– – The same. Steel engraving. C. 1850. Inscribed. 15 x 11.7 cm.
Offer no. 14,408 / EUR  49. (c. US$ 68.) + shipping

Complete copies of the set and further single plates available .

“ Received the Heron Hawking today, it is exceptionally nice. Thank you for packing so carefully … ”

(Mr. L. A. F., December 6, 2005)