A Rake's Progress Plate 8 (In the Madhouse)
"A Rake's Progress," a series of eight etchings by English engraver and painter William Hogarth, was printed as social commentary for the 18th-century audience. The series focuses on the demise of Tom Rakewell, the heir of a prosperous merchant, who squanders his inheritance on an extravagant lifestyle.
In the final plate of the series, Rakewell has been admitted to Bethlehem Hospital, a London mental institution. In the foreground, we see him portrayed as a poor and sickly man who has wasted his riches on a reckless lifestyle. He is destined to spend the rest of his days in an asylum. Presumably, he will be ridiculed by members of high society. Ultimately, in this acclaimed allegorical tale, Hogarth warns of the dangers of excessive living, an overarching theme that echoes through much of his work.
The Earle W. Newton Collection of British and American Studies
This collection contains reference materials that reveal the interconnections between Great Britain and the United States in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, including 212 paintings, 1,288 prints, rare books, antique maps and other documents by master artists from Britain and the U.S., including William Hogarth, Sir Anthony van Dyck, Thomas Gainsborough, Sir Peter Lely, Joshua Reynolds and others.