An essay upon prints: containing remarks upon the principles of picturesque beauty, the different kinds of prints, and the characters of the most noted masters; ...

HOGARTH'S RAKE'S PROGRESS.

The first print of this capital work is an excellent representation of a young heir taking possession of a mi∣ser's effects. The passion of avarice, which hoards every thing, without distinction, what is, and what is not valuable, is admirably described.— The composition, tho' not excellent, is not unpleasing. The principal group, consisting of the young gen∣tleman, the taylor, the appraiser, the papers, and chest, is agreeably shaped: but the eye is hurt with the disagreeable regularity of three heads nearly in a line, and at equal distan∣ces.—The light is not ill-disposed.

It falls on the principal figures: but the effect might have been improved. If the extreme parts of the mass, (the white apron on one side, and the memorandum-book on the other,) had been in shade, the repose had been less injured. The detached parts of a group should rarely catch a strong body of light.—We have no striking instances of expression in this print. The principal figure is un∣meaning. The only one, which dis∣plays the true vis comica of HOGARTH, is the appraiser fingering the gold. You enter at once into his character. —The young woman might have furnished the artist with an opportu∣nity of presenting a graceful figure; which would have been more plea∣sing. The figure he has introduced

is by no means an object of allure∣ment.—The perspective is accurate; but affected. So many windows, and open doors may shew the author's learning; but they break the back-ground, and injure the simplicity of it.

The second print introduces our hero into all the dissipation of modish life. We became first acquainted with him, when a boy of eighteen. He is now of age; has entirely thrown off the clownish school-boy; and as∣sumes the man of fashion. Instead of the country-taylor, who took measure of him for his father's mourn∣ing, he is now attended by French-barbers, French-taylors, poets, mil∣liners, jockies, bullies, and the whole

retinue of a fine gentleman.—The expression, in this print, is wonder∣fully great. The dauntless front of the bully; the keen eye, and elasti∣city of the fencing-master, and the simpering importance of the dancing-master are admirably expressed. The last is perhaps rather a little outrè; and it may be added, but very indif∣ferently drawn. The architect is a strong copy from nature.—The com∣position seems to be entirely subser∣vient to the expression. It appears, as if HOGARTH had scetched in his memorandum-book all the charac∣ters, which he has here introduced; but was at a loss how to group them; and chose rather to introduce them in detached figures, as he had scetch∣ed them, than to lose any part of the

expression by combining them.—The light is very ill distributed. It is spread indiscriminately over the print; and destroys the whole.—We have no instance of grace in any of the fi∣gures. The principal figure is very deficient. There is no contrast in the limbs; which is always attended with a degree of ungracefulness.— The execution is very good. It is ela∣borate, and yet free.—The satyr on operas, tho' it may be well-directed, is forced and unnatural.

The third plate carries us still deeper in the history. We meet our hero engaged in one of his evening-amusements. This print, on the whole, is no very extraordinary ef∣fort of genius.—The design is good;

and may be a very exact description of the humours of a brothel.—The composition too is not amiss. But we have few of those masterly strokes, which distinguish the works of HO∣GARTH. The whole is plain history. The lady setting the world on fire, is the best thought: and there is some humour in furnishing the room with a set of Caesars; and not placing them in order.—The light is ill-managed. By a few alterations, which are ob∣vious, particularly by throwing the lady dressing, into the shade, the disposition of it might have been to∣lerable. But still we should have had an absurdity to answer, whence comes it? Here is light in abun∣dance; but no visible source.—Ex∣pression we have very little through

the whole print. The principal fi∣gure is the best. The ladies have all the air of their profession; but no variety of character. HOGARTH'S women are, in general, very inferior to his men. For which reason I pre∣fer the rake's progress to the harlot's. The female-face indeed has seldom strength of feature enough to admit the strong markings of expression.

Very disagreeable accidents often befall gentlemen of pleasure. An event of this kind is recorded in the fourth print; which is now before us. Our hero going, in full dress, to pay his compliments at court, on St. Da∣vid's-day, was accosted in the rude manner, which is here represented. —The composition is good. The form

of the group, made up of the figures in action, the chair, and the lamp-lighter, is pleasing. Only here we have an opportunity of remarking, that a group is disgusting, when the extremities of it are heavy. A group in some respect should resemble a tree. The heavier part of the foliage, (the cup, as the landskip-painter calls it) is always near the middle: the out∣side-branches, which are relieved by the sky, are light and airy. An in∣attention to this rule has given a heaviness to the group before us. The two bailiffs, the woman, and the chairman are all huddled together in that part of the group, which should have been the lightest; while the middle part, where the hand holds the door, wants strength and

consistence. It may be added too, that the four heads, in the form of a diamond, make an unpleasing shape. All regular figures should studiously be avoided.—The light would have been well distributed, if the bailiff holding the arrest, and the chairman, had been a little lighter, and the wo∣man darker. The glare of the white apron is disagreeable.—We have, in this print, some beautiful instances of expression. The surprize and ter∣ror of the poor gentleman is appa∣rent in every limb, as far as is con∣sistent with the fear of discomposing his dress. The insolence of power in one of the bailiffs, and the un∣feeling heart in the other, which can jest with misery, are strongly marked. The self-importance too of the honest

Cambrian is not ill-portrayed; who is chiefly introduced to settle the chronology of the story.—In point of grace, we have nothing striking. HOGARTH might have introduced a degree of it in the female figure; at least he might have contrived to vary the disagreeable, and heavy form of her drapery.—The perspective is good, and makes an agreeable shape. —I cannot leave this print without remarking the falling ban-box. Such representations of quick motion are very absurd; and every moment the absurdity grows stronger. You can∣not deceive the eye. The falling bo∣dy must appear not to fall. Objects of that kind are beyond the power of representation.

Difficulties croud so fast upon our hero, that at the age of twenty-five, which he seems to have attained in the fifth plate, we find him driven to the necessity of marrying a woman, whom he detests, for her fortune. The composition here is very good; and yet we have a disagreeable regu∣larity in the climax of the three fi∣gures, the maid, the bride, and the bride-groom.—The light is not ill-distributed. The principal figure too is graceful; and there is strong ex∣pression in the seeming tranquility of his features. He hides his contempt of the object before him, as well as he can; and yet he cannot do it. She too has as much meaning, as can appear through the deformity of her features. The clergyman's face we

are well acquainted with, and also his wig; tho' we cannot pretend to say, where we have seen either. The clerk too is an admirable fellow. — The perspective is well understood; but the church is too small; and the wooden post, which seems to have no use, divides the picture very dis∣agreeably.—The creed lost, the com∣mandments broken, and the poor's-box obstructed by a cobweb, are all excellent strokes of satyrical humour.

The fortune, which our adventurer has just received, enables him to make one push more at the gaming-table. He is exhibited in the sixth print, venting curses on his folly for having lost his last stake. — This is upon the whole perhaps the best print

of the set. The horrid scene it describes, was never more inimitably drawn. The composition is artful, and natural. If the shape of the whole be not quite pleasing, the figures are so well grouped, and with so much ease and variety, that you cannot take of∣fence.—In point of light, it is more culpable. There is not shade enough among the figures to balance the glare. If the neck-cloth, and weep∣ers of the gentleman in mourning had been removed, and his hands thrown into shade, even that alone would have improved the effect.— The expression, in almost every figure, is admirable; and the whole is a strong representation of the human mind in a storm. Three stages of that species of madness, which at∣attends

gaming, are here described. On the first shock, all is inward dis∣may. The ruined gamester is re∣presented leaning against a wall, with his arms across, lost in an agony of horror. Perhaps never pas∣sion was described with so much force. In a short time this horrible gloom bursts into a storm of fury: he tears in pieces what comes next him; and kneeling down, invokes curses upon himself. He next at∣tacks others; every one in his turn whom he imagines to have been in∣strumental in his ruin.—The eager joy of the winning gamesters, the attention of the usurer, the vehe∣mence of the watchman, and the profound reverie of the high-wayman are all admirably marked. There is

great coolness too expressed in the lit∣tle we see of the fat gentleman at the end of the table. The figure opposing the mad-man is bad: it has a drunken appearance; and drunken∣ness is not the vice of a gaming-table.—The principal figure is ill drawn. The perspective is formal; and the execution but indifferent: in heightening his expression HO∣GARTH has lost his spirit.

The seventh plate, which gives us the view of a jail, has very little in it. Many of the circumstances, which may well be supposed to in∣crease the misery of a confined debt∣or, are well contrived; but the fruit∣ful genius of HOGARTH, I should think, might have treated the sub∣ject

in a more copious manner. The episode of the fainting woman might have given way to many cir∣cumstances more proper to the occa∣sion. This is the same woman, whom the rake discards in the first print; by whom he is rescued in the fourth; who is present at his mar∣riage; who follows him into jail; and lastly to Bedlam. The thought is rather unnatural, and the moral certainly culpable. — The composition is bad. The group of the woman fainting, is a round heavy mass: and the other group is very ill shapen. The light could not be worse ma∣naged; and, as the groups are con∣trived, can hardly be improved.—In the principal figure there is great expression; and the fainting scene is

well described.—A scheme to pay off the national debt by a man who cannot pay his own; and the at∣tempt of a silly rake to retrieve his affairs by a work of genius, are admirable strokes of humour.

The eighth plate brings the fortunes of our hero to a conclusion. It is a very expressive representation of the most horrid scene, which human nature can exhibit. — The composition is not bad. The group, in which the lunatic is chained, is well managed; and if it had been carried a little further towards the middle of the picture, and the two women, (who seem very odly introduced) had been removed, both the composition, and the distri∣bution of light had been good. —

The drawing of the principal fi∣gure is a more accurate piece of ana∣tomy, than I should have expect∣ed from HOGARTH. The expres∣sion of this figure is rather un∣meaning; and very inferior to the strong characters of all the other lunatics. The fertile genius of the artist has introduced as many of the causes of madness, as he could well have collected; tho' there is a little tautology. There are two religionists, and two astronomers. Yet there is vari∣ety in each; and strong expres∣sion in all the characters. The self-satisfaction, and conviction of him, who has discovered the lon∣gitude, the mock majesty of the monarch, the moody melancholy

of the lover, and the superstitious horror of the popish devotée are all admirable.—The perspective is simple and proper.