William Hogarth

William Hogarth's original engraving, A Rake's Progress, Plate 8 is the final plate from the set of eight engravings. "A Rake's Progress" ends in the famous madhouse, Bethlehem Hospital (Bedlam). Chained, half-naked, and in great anguish is our final view of Tom Rakewell. Faithful to the end, Sarah Young attempts to give him whatever comfort she can. One keeper attends to Tom's chains while another molests Sarah.

This particular image is among Hogarth's greatest and most damning indictments of society. Its cast of tormented characters points to the many causes of madness. Behind Tom and Sarah, science has claimed two victims. One studies the stars through a useless role or tube of paper, while another scribbles geometric calculations on the wall. Religion, too, has led to madness. In the cell to the left, a tormented, half-animal, soul worships his cross. To the extreme right a delusional man believes he is the Pope. Beside him a musician madly plays his violin with a stick. On the steps a love lost man has carved the initials of his obsession ('Charming Betty Careless', who was a famous prostitute of the day) on the banister. Rounding out this horrific scene is a mad tailor and, in cell 55, a naked delusional King.

Most disturbing, however, are the two, pretty aristocratic ladies who have come to view the suffering of the insane as a form of entertainment. Throughout this entire, masterful set, Hogarth has shown us the dangers of a morally bankrupt society.

Almost thirty years (1763) after completing A Rake's Progress, Hogarth returned to this final plate and made one significant addition. On the wall he etched an image of a halfpenny portraying Britannia with her hair wildly flying behind her. Within the lower margin he also wrote, "Retouch'd by the Author, 1763." In the last year of his life, Hogarth clearly felt that Britain and its ruling classes had not improved.

A Rake's Progress was first published by William Hogarth in 1735. Created several years after A Harlot's Progress, it chronicles many of the same vices and follies. But whereas Moll, the heroine of the earlier set, is a victim of society, the young, aristocratic 'hero', of A Rake's Progress, Tom Rakewell, is a victim of himself. In this series, Hogarth brilliantly satirizes the often useless and destructive character of Britain's ruling classes.

A Rake's Progress: Plate 8 (Tom Rakewell ends up in the Bethlehem Hospital madhouse) was both designed and engraved by William Hogarth. This original engraving is printed upon early nineteenth century wove paper and with large, full margins as published by William Heath in 1822. It is a fine, original example of the satirical art created by the British artist, William Hogarth. A Rake's Progress: Plate 8; Paulson Catalogue #139, Third and Final State (Complete Set of Eight Original Engravings).