Here even the End of all Things comes to an End
Indestructible , however , the two Cones for the
“ Analysis of Beauty ”
One of these here for the First Time
Hogarth, William (1697 London 1764). Tail Piece or The Bathos or manner of Sinking, in Sublime Paintings, inscribed to the Dealers in Dark Pictures. The end of Everything. Engraving by Thomas Cook (c. 1744 – London 1818). 1798. Inscribed: Designed by W. Hogarth. / Engraved by T. Cook. / Published by G. G. & J. Robinson Pater-noster Row December 1st. 1708. (recte 1808), otherwise as above. 34 x 36.7 cm.
Hogarth catalogue of the Tate Gallery, 1971/72, 222, + Hogarth catalogue Zurich, 1983, 94, both the Hogarth version of 1764 and with ills. – Extensive caption with – besides verses by Tacitus and Maximus Tyrius – important reference to “Analysis of Beauty” by two cone figures on the sides. While the right one quotes figure 26 of that the similar left one is new since
“ did not occur to the Author, till two or three Years after his publication of the Analysis, in 1754 ” (recte 1753).
It is
“ The Conic Form in which the Goddess of Beauty was worshipd by the Ancients at Paphos in ye Island of Cyprus. / See the Medals struck when a Roman Emperer visited the Temple. ”
In their intactness these cones have only seemingly nothing in common with the main picture above. For
“ The allegory has also a personal application. Hogarth characteristically regarded the eclipse of his artistic ideal and his own decline as the collapse of the universe and the end of the world. Time expiring bequeaths every atom of himself to Chaos. His testament is witnessed by the Fates ”
(Cat. Tate Gallery). And the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung of Nov. 8, 1997:
“ Rarely an artist has said goodbye to the world that movingly . ”
It is Hogarth’s last graphic work, seven months before his death. Artistically a recourse to Salvator Rosa the title is based on Pope’s poetical counterpart “Peri Bathous” as itself “a parody of Longinus’ ‘Peri Hypsous’”. Correspondingly Lichtenberg overweighs this aspect compared with the ultimate message:
“ A ridicule of the so-called academic school of painters … As known they pleased with allegories and compositions mixing up mythology of the ancient ages and newer conditions. ”
The scenery itself of an unheard of radicalism. Since also and especially those attributes otherwise signaling the ending of the times are affected by the ruin: Scythe and hourglass are broken here as are crown, pipe, palette, bottle, bell, the pub “The Worlds End” with the burning globe as its plate, the church as several other symbols of Vanitas. The clock lost its hands, the trees are as dead as the hanged man – and Phoebus in the burning sky waggon together with his horses tumbling down to the bottomless abyss. Finally Saturn himself as god of the time – the winged death – as of the wealth founded by agriculture breathes his last “Finis” while his last will – witnessed by the three Fates Clotho, Lachesis, Atropos – slips from his hand: All and every Atom there of to Chaos. Shortly “H. Nature Bankrupt”.
With the exception of the man in the thin crescent of the decreasing moon who still seems to be alive a bit. As also the gallows are standing fast. For “this it seems also the coming world cannot do without” (so on the lithograph by Heintz). To increase the bathos a few puns have been mixed in the whole mess: a cobbler’s end and last resp., a rope’s end, and the candle’s end.
Wonderful, only a little later copy of glorious chiaroscuro and adequately wide margins and freshness of this fine print by Cook who “made his mark as Hogarth engraver, too” (Thieme-Becker). As the only one of the posthumous editions he stuck to the original size. – With watermark “1811 W Balston”; comp. the double mark “J Whatman & W Balston 1813” Heawood 117. – In the right outer margin two small slight tidemarks. The partial little foxing on the back perceptible quite minimally in just two spots in the heaven’s part.
Offer no. 7,545 / EUR 291. / export price EUR 276. (c. US$ 370.) + shipping
– – – The same in Thomas Cook’s smaller repetition. Inscribed: The Bathos. / Hogarth pinxt. / T. Cook sculpt. / Published by Longman, Hurst, Rees, & Orme, Nov. 1st. 1807. Subject size 15.6 x 17.2 cm (sheet size 21.2 x 27.4 cm).
In the lower margin besides the title the two cones only, with no commentary, even without the reference “Fig. 26.”. – Very fine impression. – Trimmed within the extremely wide white plate margin which is somewhat time-stained below and on the right.
Offer no. 9,002 / EUR 50. (c. US$ 67.) + shipping
– – – The Same in engraving by Carl Heinrich Rahl (Hoffenheim 1779 – Vienna 1843). (1818-1823.) 19.5 x 23 cm.
The pure picture only anymore and thus without reference to the Analysis. Upper right “44.”, lower left “Pl. 6.”. – “Very interesting edition” (Nagler) after the engravings in the Duke Albert collection.
Offer no. 7,739 / EUR 87. (c. US$ 117.) + shipping
– – – The Same in engraving by Ernst Ludwig Riepenhausen (1765 Göttingen 1840, engraver at the university there and friend of Gottfried August Bürger’s). (1794-1835.) Inscribed: W. Hogarth inv. / R. d sc f. 21.5 x 23.5 cm.
Early impression with distinct plate tone and extremely wide lateral margins. – Also the pure picture only. With respect to the wide lower plate margin it seems the lower margin’s arrangement was intended yet never done. Later the plate was trimmed below accordingly (comp. no. 12,144). Upper right in the plate “44”.
Riepenhausen’s main work (“very valuable”, Nagler), partially even preferred to Hogarth’s own engravings.
Offer no. 7,740 / EUR 125. (c. US$ 168.) + shipping
– – – The same by Riepenhausen as before but on slightly toned paper of minor quality. 22 x 23.8 cm.
Offer no. 14,086 / EUR 87. (c. US$ 117.) + shipping
– – – The Same by Riepenhausen as before in an impression from the plate trimmed in the lower plate margin for the never entered text (comp. no. 7,740) of about 1850 on especially strong paper. 19.7 x 23.5 cm.
Offer no. 12,144 / EUR 115. (c. US$ 154.) + shipping
– – – The Same in lithography by C. F. Heintz. (1833-36.) Inscribed: 34. / Das Ende aller Dinge (The End of all Things) / lith. C. F. Heintz, otherwise as above. 20.5 x 20.7 cm.
Also the pure picture only, yet with extensive caption à la Lichtenberg in German:
“ As Hogarth got closer to his end he promised to paint the end of all things. And thus this plate resulted, a baroque tragic-comic compilation of innumerable things coming to a close. Death himself has broken his pipe, his scythe, his glass, and breathes the last cloud of tobacco with a Finis! He set chaos as his heir. The World’s End, a pub, falls apart, the times, though just a paper (Hogarth’s own plate ”The Times“), is set alight by a candle’s end. Shoe brush and decoration ribbon, bow and gun, a worn out broom and a shattered bell, a play that has been played, and so much else lies higgledy-piggledy in a mess. Above the sun waggon is burning and a church is just ruins. Only one thing held on – The gallows. It seems also the coming world cannot do without, so it remains upright anyway. Also his broken palette Hogarth threw amongst. He did not paint again since two (recte about seven) months later he had passed away. ”
The really light foxing visible almost only against the light. – All in all good though not equally tinted impression.
Offer no. 14,087 / EUR 87. (c. US$ 117.) + shipping
– – – The Same in steel engraving of c. 1840. Inscribed: Das Ende aller Dinge (The End of all Things). 13.5 x 15.5 cm. – The pure picture. – On slightly browned paper.
Offer no. 7,742 / EUR 38. (c. US$ 51.) + shipping
“ It came! My plate [already documented as lost] was delivered and it is in excellent condition. I cannot explain all of the delays or what happened. It is in the original packaging that you described and it was delivered by DHL, not the postal service (as far as I can tell – it was left on the porch [!!]). So thank you and so glad that this long story has such a nice ending. It was nice dealing with you, thank you for the plate! ”
(Mrs. J. C., May 8, 2010)