William Hogarth (1697-1764)

All lots are sold framed unless indicated otherwise.

细节

William Hogarth (1697-1764)
Three Caricature Heads
with signature and date 'Hogarth fecit 1758' and with inscription on the backing paper 'This drawing was sent to Dr. Schomberg by Mr. Jas. Townley of Doctors' Commons with the/following Billet Dated in 1777.' and with an old letter attached to the backing paper which reads 'Dear Sir,/I beg your acceptance of a Sketch made by/Hogarth-the following Circumstance gave rise to it - Hogarth and/my father were one day - in the year 1758 - in the kitchen at my/fathers house in Christs Hospital, and my father asked Hogarth what/he meant by Character and Caracatura, when Hogarth took an/old dirty Pen out of the Kitchen Ink bottle and sayd 'I'll show you/Master Townley'and then made this little Sketch, which my father/gave me some years afterwards, and I wrote 'Hogarth fecit 1758' at/the bottom of it, and have now put it into a frame: this is the little/History attending it; and, as I know you are a great admirer of every/Stroke done by the Hand of Hogarth, I am sure you will receive/it just as it is. I am/Dear Sir/Your obliged + most-/obedient Servant/[Jas. Townley]; pen and brown ink, unframed
6¾ x 11¼in. (172 x 286mm.)

来源

James Townley, by whom given to
Dr Isaac Schomberg, by whom sold to
Samuel Ireland; Christie's, 6 May 1797, lot 133, with two other sketches.

出版

A.P. Oppé, The Drawings of William Hogarth, 1948, p.62 no.108.
R. Paulson, Hogarth: His Life, Art and Times, 1971, II, p.291.
R. Paulson, Hogarth, Art and Politics, 1993, III, p.492 note 7.

刻印

Jane Ireland for S. Ireland, Graphic Illustrations of Hogarth, II, 1799.

拍品专文

The circumstances surrounding the genesis of this drawing are explained on the old inscription. The whereabouts of the present drawing was unknown since the sale in these Rooms in 1797.
Paulson suggests that this may be Hogarth's first thought for The Bench, the engraving of which was left unfinished at his death (op.cit., 1971, illustrated p.421, pl.314). The heads alone were etched by Jane Ireland and published in Samuel Ireland's Graphic Illustrations of Hogarth, II, 1799, p.177 (Oppé, op.cit., fig.45).