Hogarth, William (1697 London 1764). The Laughing Audience. The laughing pit during a comic opera, “perhaps Gay’s famous or notorious Beggars Opera”. In front three members of the orchestra. Engraving by Ernst Ludwig Riepenhausen (1765 Göttingen 1840). 21.7 x 19.5 cm.

“ The  masterly  reproduction  of  all  nuances  of  laugh ”

(Thieme-Becker). – Served originally as subscription ticket for Southwark Fair + A Rake’s Progress. – See the illustrations of the 1733 Hogarth etching in the Hogarth catalogs of the Tate Gallery, 1971/72, no. 82 + the Art Gallery Zurich, 1983, no. 22.

“ The beholder can find in the depicted faces the complete graduation of jollity … and besides note the expression which will be caused at the funniest high spirits by the difference ages. Only  one face preserves an unshakable earnestness … perhaps of a critic … ”

(Lichtenberg).

RIEPENHAUSEN’S  ENGRAVINGS  AFTER  HOGARTH  ( “very estimable” ) count to his main work and are preferred partly to the Hogarth engravings itself. – Fine  early  impression .
Offer no. 7,903 / EUR  95. (c. US$ 153.) + shipping

– – – The same by Riepenhausen in probable impression of a special edition in view of the good, strong paper. 22 x 20 cm.
Offer no. 5,946 / EUR  86. (c. US$ 138.) + shipping

– – – The same by Riepenhausen on a slightly toned less paper. 22 x 20 cm.
Offer no. 14,091 / EUR  76. (c. US$ 122.) + shipping

– – – The same in Hogarth’s own engraving of 1733 in an impression from the plate retouched by the royal engraver James Heath (1757 London 1834) about 1822 (“But even these impressions became relatively rare today”, Art Gallery Esslingen 1970). 19 x 17.2 cm.

Originally served as subscription ticket for Southwark Fair + A Rake’s Progress whose receipt text was taken away per 4^th state in 1737 by corresponding shortening of the plate.
Offer no. 7,736 / EUR  71. (c. US$ 114.) + shipping

– – – The same in engraving by Thomas Cook (ca. 1744 – London 1818). Inscribed: Hogarth pinxt. / T. Cook sculpt. / Published by Longman, Hurst, Rees, & Orme, Nov. 1^st. 1807., title as above. Subject size 15.7 x 14 cm. – Cook’s smaller repetition. – Trimmed within the wide white margin. Three outer edges somewhat brownspotted.
Offer no. 8,924 / EUR  61. (c. US$ 98.) + shipping

– – – The same in engraving by Carl Heinrich Rahl (Hoffenheim 1779 –Vienna 1843). (1818/23.) 21 x 17.6 cm.
Offer no. 5,945 / EUR  71. (c. US$ 114.) + shipping

– – – The same in lithography. (1833/36.) 23.7 x 15.5 cm. – With detailed subtext à la Lichtenberg in German.
Offer no. 5,947 / EUR  71. (c. US$ 114.) + shipping

– – – The same in steel engraving. Ca. 1840. 18.5 x 15.4 cm.
Offer no. 7,737 / EUR  40. (c. US$ 64.) + shipping

„ Hartelijk dank voor de zorgvulige wijze … Voor mij bent u de Mercedes onder de prentenhandelaren! “

(de heer P. E., 24. Januar 2008)