The Works of William Hogarth: In a Series of Engravings | Page 3

whole animated by proper and just
expressions of the passions,--be comedy, Hogarth composed comedies
as much as Moliere.
Soon after his marriage, Hogarth resided at South Lambeth; and being
intimate with Mr. Tyers, the then spirited proprietor of Vauxhall
Gardens, he contributed much to the improvement of those gardens;
and first suggested the hint of embellishing them with paintings, some
of which were the productions of his own comic pencil. Among the
paintings were "The Four Parts of the Day," either by Hogarth, or after
his designs.
Two years after the publication of his "Harlot's Progress," appeared the
"Rake's Progress," which, Lord Orford remarks, (though perhaps
superior,) "had not so much success, for want of notoriety: nor is the
print of the Arrest equal in merit to the others." The curtain, however,
was now drawn aside, and his genius stood displayed in its full lustre.

The Rake's Progress was followed by several works in series, viz.
"Marriage a-la-Mode, Industry and Idleness, the Stages of Cruelty, and
Election Prints." To these may be added, a great number of single
comic pieces, all of which present a rich source of amusement:--such as,
"The March to Finchley, Modern Midnight Conversation, the Sleeping
Congregation, the Gates of Calais, Gin Lane, Beer Street, Strolling
Players in a Barn, the Lecture, Laughing Audience, Enraged Musician,"
&c. &c. which, being introduced and described in the subsequent part
of this work, it would far exceed the limits, necessarily assigned to
these brief memoirs, here minutely to characterise.
All the works of this original genius are, in fact, lectures of morality.
They are satires of particular vices and follies, expressed with such
strength of character, and such an accumulation of minute and
appropriate circumstances, that they have all the truth of Nature
heightened by the attractions of wit and fancy. Nothing is without a
meaning, but all either conspires to the great end, or forms an addition
to the lively drama of human manners. His single pieces, however, are
rather to be considered as studies, not perhaps for the professional artist,
but for the searcher into life and manners, and for the votaries of true
humour and ridicule. No furniture of the kind can vie with Hogarth's
prints, as a fund of inexhaustible amusement, yet conveying at the same
time lessons of morality.
Not contented, however, with the just reputation which he had acquired
in his proper department, Hogarth attempted to shine in the highest
branch of the art,--serious history-painting. "From a contempt," says
Lord Orford, "of the ignorant virtuosi of the age, and from indignation
at the impudent tricks of picture dealers, whom he saw continually
recommending and vending vile copies to bubble collectors, and from
having never studied, or indeed having seen, few good pictures of the
great Italian masters, he persuaded himself that the praises bestowed on
those glorious works were nothing but the effects of prejudice. He
talked this language till he believed it; and having heard it often
asserted (as is true) that time gives a mellowness to colours, and
improves them, he not only denied the proposition, but maintained that
pictures only grew black and worse by age, not distinguishing between

the degrees in which the proposition might be true or false. He went
farther: he determined to rival the ancients, and unfortunately chose one
of the finest pictures in England as the object of his competition. This
was the celebrated Sigismonda of Sir Luke Schaub, now in the
possession of the Duke of Newcastle, said to be painted by Correggio,
probably by Furino."--"It is impossible to see the picture," (continues
his lordship,) "or read Dryden's inimitable tale, and not feel that the
same soul animated both. After many essays, Hogarth at last produced
his Sigismonda,--but no more like Sigismonda than I to Hercules."
Notwithstanding Hogarth professed to decry literature, he felt an
inclination to communicate to the public his ideas on a topic connected
with his art. His "Analysis of Beauty" made its appearance in one
volume quarto, in the year 1753. Its leading principle is, that beauty
fundamentally consists in that union of uniformity which is found in
the curve or waving line; and that round swelling figures are most
pleasing to the eye. This principle he illustrates by many ingenious
remarks and examples, and also by some plates characteristic of his
genius.
In the year 1757, his brother-in-law, Mr. Thornhill, resigned his office
of king's serjeant-painter in favour of Hogarth, who received his
appointment on the 6th of June, and entered on his functions on the
16th of July, both in the same year. This place was re-granted to him by
a warrant of George the Third, which bears date the 30th October, 1761,
with a salary of ten pounds per annum, payable quarterly.
This connexion with the court probably induced Hogarth