1738.
1. The Four Parts of the Day.[1] Invented, painted, engraved, and published by W. Hogarth. Mr. Walpole observes that these plates, "except the last, are inferior to few of his works." We have been told that Hogarth's inclination to satire once cost him a legacy. It seems that the figure of the Old Maid, in the print of Morning, was taken either from an acquaintance or relation of his. At first she was well enough satisfied with her resemblance; but some designing people teaching her to be angry, she struck the painter out of her will, which had been made considerably in his favour. This story we have heard often related by those whom, on other occasions, we could readily believe. In the same print is a portrait of Dr. Rock, who formerly attended Covent-Garden market every morning.
To the propriety of Hogarth's having introduced a scene of riot within King's Coffee-house, the following quotation from The Weekly Miscellany for June 9, 1739, bears sufficient testimony: "Monday Mrs. Mary King of Covent-Garden was brought up to the King's Bench Bar at Westminster, and received the following sentence, for keeping a disorderly house; viz. to pay a fine of £.200, to suffer three months imprisonment, to find security for her good behaviour for three years, and to remain in prison till the fine be paid." As it was impossible she could carry on her former business, as soon as the time of her imprisonment was ended, she retired with her savings, built three houses on Haverstock hill, near Hampstead, and died in one of them, September 1747. Her own mansion was afterwards the last residence of the celebrated Nancy Dawson;[2] and the three together are still distinguished by the appellation of Moll King's Row. Perhaps the use of the mirror in reversing objects was not yet understood by our engravers, for in Hogarth's painting the late Mr. West's house (now Lowe's Hotel) is properly situated on the left of Covent-garden church. In the print it appears on the contrary side.
The Crying Boy in Noon was sketched by Hogarth from a picture by N. Poussin of the Rape of the Sabines, at Mr. Hoare's at Stourhead. The school boy's kite lodged on the roof of a building, was introduced only to break the disagreeable uniformity of a wall.
Our artist, in the scene of Evening, inserted the little girl with the fan, as an after-thought, some friend having asked him what the boy cried for. He therefore introduced the girl going to take the play-thing from her brother. Nothing is more common than to see children cry without reason. The circumstance, however, shews that this great Genius did not always think himself above advice, as some have alledged to have been the case with him. In the early impressions of this plate, the face and neck of the woman are coloured with red, to express heat; and the hand of her husband is tinged with blue, to intimate that he was by trade a Dyer. The purchasers of the plate, intituled Evening, are hereby cautioned against imposition. In a modern copy of it, sold to the late Mr. Ingham Foster, the face of the woman had been washed over with vermilion, that it might pass (as it chanced to do) for a first impression. In the true ones, and none but these, the face and bosom were printed off with red, and the hand with blue ink. Only the traces of the graver, therefore, ought to be filled by either colour, and not the whole surface of the visage, &c. as in the smeary counterfeit. I have been told that a few copies of plate III. were taken off before the fan was inserted, but have not hitherto met with one of them. In Night, the drunken Free-mason has been supposed to be Sir Thomas de Veil; but Sir John Hawkins assures me, it is not the least like him. The Salisbury Flying-Coach implies a satire on the right honourable inventor of that species of carriage. The two first of these pictures were sold to the Duke of Ancaster, for 57 Guineas; the remaining pair to Sir William Heathcote for 64.
[1] Hogarth advertises in The London Daily Post, January 20, 1737-8, five copper plates, viz. Morning, Noon, Evening and Night, and a Company of Strolling Actresses dressing in a barn, for one guinea, half to be paid at the time of subscribing, half on the delivery. After the subscription, to be raised to five shillings a plate.
[2] A hornpipe dancer at Covent Garden. She was mistress to Shuter the comedian, &c. &c. &c.
2. Strolling Actresses[1] dressing in a Barn. Invented, painted, engraved, and published by W. Hogarth. Mr. Walpole observes that this piece, "for wit and imagination, without any other end," is the best of all our artist's works. Mr. Wood of Littelton has the original, for which he paid only 26 Guineas.
Dr. Trusler, in his explanation of this plate, is of opinion, that some incestuous commerce among the performers is intimated by the names of Oedipus and Jocasta appearing above the heads of two figures among the theatrical lumber at the top of the barn. But surely there is no cause for so gross a supposition. Painted prodigies of this description were necessary to the performance of Lee's Oedipus. See Act II. where the following stage direction occurs; "The cloud draws, that veiled the heads of the figures in the sky, and shews them crowned, with the names of Oedipus and Jocasta written above, in great characters of gold." The magazine of dragons, clouds, scenes, flags, &c. or the woman half naked, was sufficient to attract the notice of the rustick peeping through the thatch he might be employed to repair. Neither is the position of the figures at all favourable to the Doctor's conceit. Incest was also too shocking an idea to have intruded itself among the comic circumstances that form the present representation. When this plate was retouched a second time, a variety of little changes were made in it. In the two earliest impressions the actress who personates Flora, is greasing her hair with a tallow candle, and preparing to powder herself, after her cap, feathers, &c. were put on. This solecism in the regular course of dress is removed in the third copy, the cap and ornaments being there omitted. The coiffure of the female who holds the cat, is also lowered; and whereas at first we could read in the play-bill depending from the truckle-bed, that the part of Jupiter was to be performed by Mr. Bilk-village, an additional shade in the modern copy renders this part of the inscription illegible. Several holes likewise in the thatch of the barn are filled up; and the whole plate has lost somewhat of its clearness. The same censure is due to the reparations of the Harlot's and Rake's Progresses. Had Hogarth lived, he would also have gradually destroyed much of that history of dress, &c. for which his designs have been justly praised by Mr. Walpole. In the first and last scenes of the Rake's Progress, he began to adorn the heads of his females in the fashion prevalent at the time he retraced the plates. In short, the collector, who contents himself with the later impressions of his work, will not consult our artist's reputation. Those who wish to be acquainted with the whole extent of his powers, should assemble the first copies, together with all the varieties of his capital works.
[1] I know not why this print should have received its title only from its female agents. Not to dwell on the Jupiter pointing with Cupid's bow to a pair of stockings, whoever will examine the linen[A] of the weeping figure receiving a dram-glass from the Syren, and look for the object that attracts her regard, may discover an indication that the other sex has also a representative in this theatrical parliament.
[A] Non sic præcipiti carbasa tensa noto.