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 W^m. Hogarth. / Publish’d as the Act directs March y^e 15^th 1762., otherwise as before and below. 43.6 x 33.3 cm.

Illustration Hogarth Catalogue Zurich, 1983, 90. – Impression from the plate reworked by the royal engraver James Heath (1757 London 1834) about 1822 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 living conditions 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$ 283.) + 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$ 140.) + shipping

– – – The same by Riepenhausen as before, but on slightly toned minor paper.
Offer no. 8,090 / EUR  76. (c. US$ 122.) + 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$ 71.) + 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$ 64.) + shipping

“ Yes please. I take that (further) copy.
I have now fetched the (last) parcel at the post office and I was very pleased. First of all: thank you for making so good parcel. I hate when I receive damaged copies because of bad envelopes. So once again: thank you very much for handling the items with such care! For me that is another word for seriousness and professionalism.
It was also a good copy and I liked it very much.
Please let me know if there is more items coming up ”

(Mrs. G. H., June 19, 2006)