Copy in reverse of the first state of Plate 4 of Hogarth's 'The Rake's Progress' (Paulson 135): In this scene two baliffs, one with an arrest notice in his hand, have stopped Tom Rakewell's sedan chair in St. James's Street; Tom is presumably on his way to White's gaming house which can be seen in the background. They are foiled in their attempt to arrest Tom for debt as Sarah Young, the young woman whom he had seduced and abandoned, offers the bailiffs her purse instead. Sarah is now a dealer in millinery as is suggested by the notions falling from her purse. In the right foreground a shoe-black apparently taking advantage of the situation to take hold of Tom's elegant walking stick. Above them a careless lamplighter spills some oil on Tom's head. To the left a Welshman, probably the creditor, honouring St David's day (March 1st) with a leek in his hat, accompanied by his manicured dog, simply watches the scene. In the distance is the gate of St James's Palace with a crowd of sedan-chairs approaching to celebrate the birthday of Queen Caroline
Alternative Title:
Rake's progress. Plate 4 and Tho' prest with debts, [the] Beau maintain's his state, ...
Description:
Title from text engraved above image., "Plate 4"--Lower right below design., Verses below image in three columns, four lines each: Tho' prest with debts, [the] Beau maintain's his state, ..., The ornamental borders along the left and right edges are printed from a separate plate (images 25 x 2.8 cm, on plate mark 25.7 x 36.5 cm)., A reissue, with a new publication line and with ornamental borders added, of the fourth of eight prints in a series; all are copies of the first states of Hogarth's plates with new verses in the columns below the image; copies were made with Hogarth's consent in 1735. See Paulson, R. Hogarth's graphic works (3rd ed.), page 90., Original publication line: Published with the consent of Mr. William Hogarth by Tho. Bakewell according to Act of Parliament July 1735., and Ornamental borders partially obscure image on left and plate number and text on right.
Publisher:
Publish'd wth. [the] consent of Mrs. Hogarth, by Henry Parker, at No. 82 in Cornhill
Subject (Topic):
Interiors, Bailiffs, Dogs, Children, Lamps, Lust, Seduction, Sedan chairs, Seamstresses, Street vendors, Young adults, Ethics, Rake's progress, and Traffic congestion
