A Rake's Progress, Blatt 2: Der Morgenempfang

This paper is part of an eight-part series of images called “The Rake 's Progress,” which was written by the British painter and graphic artist William Hogarth (1697-1764), an important artist of the 18th century who dealt with his environment in a socially critical manner. He created this series in 1735. These etchings are about a young man who pulls his father’s inheritance and ends up in jail and madhouse. The stecher is the London engraver Thomas Cook (1744-1818). The paper was moved in 1806. The missing edge of the disk indicates that it could be a reproduction. Tom Rakewell is recognized here in his quarters in the right half of the leaf. Seven people gathered around him. Georg Christoph Lichtenberg describes the man to the right as Bravo, a patron who offers his services to Tom with a letter of recommendation that he holds in his left hand. The person behind it is a forest hornist. The man in the middle of the leaf, who moves in a sweeping manner, is almost tiptoe and holds a pocket fiddle, also known as a dance master’s violin, is the dance master. The French fencing master Du Bois can be seen behind it. He is about to parry a failure with his degen. He is observed by a man behind him leaning against the wall. It is, according to Lichtenberg, Figg, the greatest knock fencer of his time. In front of the painting of Venus, to the left of Tom, is old art gardener Bridgeman, he has a plan in his hands from a garden he wants to create on behalf of Tom and now asks for his approval. In front of Tom, a man kneels, a jockey, as Lichtenberg describes, who has won a large silver bowl in the service of Tom and his horse, she seems to be hard and to keep her best in this position until Rakewell has time for the rider. Until now, the eighth person in the room has not been mentioned. She sits at a harpsichord, plays with one hand, with the other she flips the notes on the pulse. The play is called “Der Raub der Sabinerinnen,” from the chair back a scroll has unrolled, on which the singer Farinelli is depicted at the lowest end. It is suggested that the person at the harpsichord on the left could possibly be Georg Friedrich Händel (1685-1759). Lichtenberg considers this unlikely. At the far left you get a view into more rooms. Signature: Hogarth pinx.t. T. Cook T.. Published by Longman, Hurst, Rees & Orme, Nov.r 1 st 1806. Label: RAKE 'S PROGRESS. (Stiftung Händel-Haus Halle Foundation)