A Rake's Progress, Plate 6

Date1735

Designer & engraver William Hogarth (1697 - 1764)

MediumEtching and line engraving on laid paper

DimensionsOverall: 17 3/4 × 23in. (45.1 × 58.4cm)

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1967-566,6

DescriptionLower margin reads: "Gold, Though bright Son of Phaebus, Sourse/ Of Universal Intercourse; / Of Weeping Virgue Sweet Redress,/ And Blessing Those who live to bless; / Yet oft behold this Sacred Trust / The Fool of Averitious Lust, / No longer Bond of Humankind, / But Bane of every virtuous Mind, / What Chaos such Misuse attends ; / Friendship Stoops to prey on Friends; / Health, that gives Relish to Delight, / Is wasted with y.e Wasting Night: / Doubt & Mistrust are thrown on Heaven, / And all its Power to Chance is given, / Sad Purchase, of repentant Tears, / Of needless Quarrels, endless Fears, / Of Hopes of Mments, Pangs of Years! / /Sad Purchase, of a tortur'd Mind, / To an imprison'd body join'd! / invented Painted & Engrav'd by/ W.m Hogarth, & Publish'd June y.e 25, 1735 According to Act of Parliament. / Sold at y.e Golden Head in Leicester Fields Lon: don Plate 6."
Label TextThis is the sixth scene of one of William Hogarth's most popular "Modern Moral Subjects”: " A Rake's Progress." With the popularity of 'A Harlot's Progress,' he commenced selling subscriptions in late 1733, but the prints were not completed until June, 1735. Part of this delay was the passage of the Engraver's Act, which was designed to prevent pirating of engraver's works. Hogarth waited until the act took effect on June 25th, 1735 - the date engraved on the prints - to publish the series. Despite his careful planning, pirated copies appeared on the market in early June apparently based on Hogarth's original paintings for the set, now in the collection of Sir John Soane's Museum.

The sixth scene, which takes place in a Covent Garden (as evidenced by the dog's collar) gaming house just as Thomas Bakewell has just lost his new wife's entire fortune in a bet. He's knocked over his chair, torn off his wig torn at is clothes and now frantically laments his misfortune. Meanwhile, as was referenced in plate 3 (1967-566,3) with the burning of the map of the old world or "Totus Mundus," the room is on fire, much like his life. The gamblers do not even notice. Around the room are scenes of the various stages of gambling addiction.

This is state three of the print. Though printed from Hogarth's original copperplate (with some strengthening), this print is part of the Boydell edition published after 1790. Hogarth's copperplates were re-used after his death by his widow, Jane until her death in 1789. They were sold to the print publishers John and Josiah Boydell who published until the Boydell sale in 1818. In 1822, James Heath was in possession of the plates and published at least four bound editions of the plates. For more, see Ronald Paulson, Hogarth's Graphic Works, Third Revised Edition (London: Print Room, 1989), pp. 20-21.

For more of the set see 1967-556, 1-8.