Once a Famous Fair in London
or
A Leg wanders through Art History
from Bruegel via Hogarth to Goya
and is here together a Little Leg
in the Small Beginning of the Haymarket Theatre
Hogarth, William (1697 London 1764). Southwark Fair. The London fair with its populous colorful scene. Engraving by Thomas Cook (ca. 1744 – London 1818). Inscribed: Designed by Wm. Hogarth / Engraved by T. Cook / Published April 1st. 1796, by G. G. & J. Robinson, Paternoster Row, London., title as before. 37.4 x 47.5 cm.
Hogarth Catalog Tate Gallery, 1971/72, 74 (the 1733 oil) along with ills.; H. Catalog Zurich, 1983, 20 (H’s engraving of 1734 in reverse) with ills. – As subscription ticket served suggestively “The Laughing Audience”.
The second earliest depiction
of the exposition “Come in, Come in – Fair’s Prints from Three Centuries” of the Puppet Show Collection Munich of 1975/76. See no. 2 of the exhibition catalog along with double full-page ills. pp. 52/53.
“ This first sheet by Hogarth of larger consequence, which he himself attached importance also still later, giving the depiction of one of those fairs which in England in the beginning of the new time were still of importance for the trade, but already in the last half of the 17th century served only as motive for amusement of the lower-classes, which is usually the case on such occasions.
But it also don’t lack at tragedy … especially in front at ‘Bajazet’s Fall’ (see below), at that time a famous heroe on the national theatres … played by the way by Cibber and Bullock …, by a company which circumstances a (deliciously illustrated) signboard with the headline
The Stage Mutiny
( the players rebellion from Drury Lane with Theophilus Cibber
at the head , from which the Haymarket Theatre formed )
still more detailed comments …
At a large kiosk … dramatical performances are promised by comedy-bills and executed, too, … A heroic piece likewise is in the process of the show, the siege of Troy …
The main thing on the sheet naturally formed the crowd. Also here a troupe of comedians is noticeable which first makes known its performance under beat of the drum and trumpet-blast. The drum is played by a beauty … This shall be the portrait of an actress from a similar company of players. As it is told once Hogarth had mixed with the crowd on a Southwark Fair and saw how a pretty street comedian was maltreated by her director. The spectacle was so awkward to him that he directly gave a lecture of gallentry with the riding-whip to the director. But the girl pleased him so much that he drew her and later placed on this picture ”
(Lichtenberg).
Arthistorical hub
however, is the own fall of the future Haymarket ensemble, and in such a way unintentionally live playing just “The Fall of Bajazet”, from its wooden stage established raisedly above the crowd into the goods of a porcelain shop. And in doing so , full of symbolism , showing leg . In this case that of a beauty. A leg with past and future. For
“ The actress’s flailing legs among the timbers of the stage … recall Bruegel’s ‘Fall of the Magician’ (rather than the work by Coypel which is sometimes suggested.)
This passage in the ‘ Southwark Fair ’
… may have suggested the similar detail in Plate 30 of Goya’s ‘Disaster of War’ ”
(Lawrence Gowing im Katalog der Tate Gallery).
Splendid impression of finest chiaroscuro
of this unrepeatable sheet, in the same direction to Hogarth’s engraving, on strong paper. Cook “made his mark as Hogarth engraver, too” (Thieme-Becker), whose original size he maintained in contrast to all later Hogarth editions. – The wide white margin with a quite weak water streak above right.
Offer no. 7,555 / EUR 614. / export price EUR 583. (c. US$ 766.) + shipping
– – – The Same in Cook’s smaller repetition , in same direction to the oil. Inscribed: Hogarth pinxt. / T. Cook sculpt. / Published by Longman, Hurst, Rees, & Orme, July 1st. 1807., title as above. Subject size 14 x 17 cm.
Trimmed within the wide white margin, two sides of which, relatively three, in its outer parts weakly brownspotted.
Offer no. 8,925 / EUR 151. (c. US$ 198.) + shipping
“ … Thank you again for your considered thoughts. I am interested in the ‘Clara’ piece. Please describe the process for completing a transaction for #15,275 ”
(Mr. M. P., December 8, 2008)