“ … full of deep satires and the most useful
Hogarth has ever produced ”
Hogarth, William (1697 London 1764). Credulity, Superstition and Fanaticism. A Medley. The highly alert parishioners of the Methodists – in contrast to the Sleeping Congregation of the High Church in their divine service. Engraving. Inscribed: Design’d and Engrav’d by Wm. Hogarth. / Publish’d as the Act directs March ye 15th 1762., otherwise as above and below. 43.6 x 33.3 cm.
“ Believe not every Spirit ; but try the Spirits whether they are of God :
because many false Prophets are gone out into the World .
1.John.Ch.4.V.1.”
Illustration Hogarth Catalogue Zurich, 1983, 90. – Impression from the plate retouched by the royal engraver James Heath (1757 London 1834) about 1822 (“Even these impressions have become relatively rare today though”, Art Gallery Esslingen 1970; and Meyers Konv.-Lex., 4th ed., VIII [1888], 625: “A fine edition”, esteemed also already by contemporary collectors of the rank of for instance an A. T. Stewart [Catalog of the Stewart Collection, New York 1887, 1221, “fine plates”]) on buff paper. – Extremely wide-margined.
Hogarth’s late work from 1762, i. a. with the figure of the rabbit woman to whom he already dedicated an engraving in 1726 as one of his early works and “who he thus found valuable enough at the end of his life to bring her on again on suitable occasion”. Otherwise Lichtenberg starts his reflections on this so extraordinarily detail-rich sheet with the words
“ The most exaggerated excitement of a Methodist parish forms the most extreme contrast to the religious coolness which results from the conditions of the High Church as natural … The efficacy of the sect founded by Wesley has proven itself as exceedingly charitable from the beginning till now, preachers, supported by their parishes only, have … by perpetual contact with the lower classes of the people … exerted that influence of the clergy so charitable to morals and circumstances that is expected from the true church of Christianity. But on the other hand the Methodists proved the empirical theorem expressed by David Hume: as soon as the existence of the clergyman depends only on the people he tries to raise its loyalty by all ballyhooing of fanaticism … ”
To conclude finally with the remark
“ Strange is the judgement of Horace Walpole – see at the beginning – who otherwise possesses a deeper art knowledge and a chastened taste … One can explain this judgement only from the dislike of the aristocratic lord for the Methodist religion of the mob and even Christianity in general that he shall have nourished though he nevertheless took care not to express this publicly. ”
Offer no. 7,784 / EUR 176. (c. US$ 236.) + shipping
– – – The same in engraving by Ernst Ludwig Riepenhausen (1765 Göttingen 1840, university engraver there). Inscribed: 68 / W. Hogarth inv. pinx. / ER. f. 25.5 x 20.5 cm. – Impression on especially buff paper, supposedly about 1850. – Riepenhausen’s engravings after Hogarth (“very estimable”, Nagler) belong to his chief work and not least for their side-correctness they are partly even preferred to Hogarth’s own engravings.
Offer no. 7,785 / EUR 87. (c. US$ 117.) + shipping
– – – The same by Riepenhausen as before, but on slightly toned minor paper.
Offer no. 8,090 / EUR 76. (c. US$ 102.) + shipping
– – – The same in lithography. (1833/36.) Inscribed: 66. / Aberglaube und Fanatismus. 29.6 x 18.5 cm. – Extensive subtext à la Lichtenberg in German.
Offer no. 7,786 / EUR 44. (c. US$ 59.) + shipping
– – – The same in steel engraving about 1840. 15.9 x 12.8 cm. – Title in German + English.
Offer no. 7,787 / EUR 40. (c. US$ 54.) + shipping
“ this is to let you know that the book has arrived in excellent shape, and that I am delighted to have it ”
(Mr. P. M., April 30, 2003)