Hogarth, William (1697 London 1764). Rakewell marries an Old Maid. The unlike couple saying yes to each other, while in the background the sexton’s wife refuses Sarah Young, with Rakewell’s daughter on her arms, and her mother admittance. Engraving by Thomas Cook (c. 1744 – London 1818). Inscribed: Designed by W^m. Hogarth / Engraved by T. Cook / Published Dec^r. 1^st, 1796; by G. G. & J. Robinson, Paternoster Row, London. / Pl. V. 35.7 x 43 cm.

The Rake’s Progress V. – Four diptych subtexts. – 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.

“ Bride and bridegroom have found what they were looking for;  she  a young and handsome man, and  he  a rich woman; what shall one want more? ”

(Lichtenberg).
Offer no. 7,516 / EUR  291. / Export price EUR  276. (c. US$ 437.) + 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 Painted & Engrav’d by W^m Hogarth & Publish’d June y^e. 25. 1735. According to Act of Parliament. / Plate 5. 36 x 41 cm. – Illustration Hogarth Catalogue Zurich, 1983, 27. – Palish. – On wide-margined buff paper.
Offer no. 7,655 / EUR  84. (c. US$ 133.) + shipping

– – – The same in the smaller repetition Cook worked together with his son without the subtext here replaced by the series title. Inscribed: Pl. V. / Hogarth pinx^t. / T. Cook & Son sc. / Published by Longman, Hurst, Rees, & Orme, May 1^st. 1808. Subject size 14.7 x 17.2 cm. – Trimmed within the wide white platemark whose outer parts are age and fox-spotted resp. on three sides.
Offer no. 8,870 / EUR  37. (c. US$ 59.) + shipping

– – – The same in engraving by Carl Heinrich Rahl (Hoffenheim 1779 – Vienna 1843). (1818/23.) Inscribed: 17. / Pl 5. 20.5 x 27 cm.
Offer no. 7,656 / EUR  43. (c. US$ 68.) + shipping

– – – The same in engraving by Ernst Ludwig Riepenhausen (1765 Göttingen 1840, university engraver there). Inscribed: 17. / W. Hogarth inv. & pinx. 1735. / Pl. 5. 20.3 x 26.9 cm. – Toned early impression. – Riepenhausen’s engravings after Hogarth (“very estimable”, Nagler) belong to his chief work and are partly even preferred to Hogarth’s own engravings. – Illustration.
Offer no. 7,657 / EUR  50. (c. US$ 79.) + shipping

– – – The same in engraving by Riepenhausen as before, but on slightly toned minor paper. 20.6 x 27.2 cm. – Somewhat palish.
Offer no. 14,429 / EUR  40. (c. US$ 63.) + shipping

– – – The same in engraving by Riepenhausen as before, but on especially buff paper, supposedly about 1850. 20.7 x 26.8 cm.
Offer no. 14,430 / EUR  46. (c. US$ 73.) + shipping

– – – The same in lithography by E. L. Blau (Lauchstädt, Merseburg, 1808/10 – Leipsic 1899). (1833/36.) Inscribed: 71. / lith v L. Blau / Der Weg des Liederlichen 5^s. Blatt. 23.2 x 22.4 cm. – Extensive subtext à la Lichtenberg in German.
Offer no. 7,658 / EUR  43. (c. US$ 68.) + shipping

– – – The same in steel engraving about 1840. 13.2 x 14.9 cm. – With title in German + English.
Offer no. 7,659 / EUR  19. (c. US$ 30.) + shipping

Complete copies of the set and further single plates available .

“ Received the (original Ridinger copper-printing-)plate yesterday. Much Thanks from a satiesfied customer. You are a True Gentleman … All the Best! L… F. ”

(Mr. L. A. F., November 5, 2003)