For my 10th Printmaking report i wanted to look at William Hogarth again.
William Hogarth was an English painter, print maker and editorial cartoonist. His works are mostly satirical caricatures. He thought that art should always contain morals but also portrayed a lot of humor in his work. In the 1700's alcoholism was common in the poorer citizens of London and with gin being the most common because it was cheap and strong it was an easy way for people to forget there struggles and problems.
I wanted to look at Gin Lane and Beer Street.
This etching is total chaos, the woman on the steps, who is so drunk she is letting her child fall over the stairs, the man below is dead or dying from starvation. There is also a man hanging himself in the top right corner on the etching. Funeral planners, a pawner and a distillery and in among it all the effects of them, the poor selling there things for pennies, fighting, drinking and dying... and these people are making money from it all. I can really see the evil and horrible life these people had.
The technique is brilliant! obviously it is technically well done and everything looks very realistic but i love the use of tone. There seems to be a lot of different types of marks made, i see some cross hatching and some stippling as well as bits he has left untouched. I know that the darker parts, like the signage and the walls have been left in the acid a bit longer to make them darker but i dont know a lot about Etching or engraving but this is just a very powerful and visually stunning piece of work.
This work goes along with another print called Beer Street.
Again he is saying a lot.
This print is connected to industry and construction as well as good health and order. This to me seems quite happy and merry. The people in this seem well fed and everyone seems happy. The clothes are clean and all seem to be workers, like black smiths, bakers and fish mongers unlike the etching 'gin lane'.
I can see some dots and stippling, and some highlights on the ground, sky and on the clothes of the people.
These two prints really show the difference between gin and beer, one for the poor and desperate who need an escape from there lives, full of pain and sadness. and beer a good drink for the working man, a refreshing break from a hard days work... not an escape or means to cope with life.
His prints had a lot of social commentary.
These prints are based on paintings he did called the same thing.
These paintings are a bit nicer than the etchings... Before looks like shyness and after looks more like they are overwhelmed by just having sex. The etchings look more like a scene of rape to me... the way he is grabbing her and the dog is barking, things are knocked over and the fear on her face.
William Hogarth was an English painter, print maker and editorial cartoonist. His works are mostly satirical caricatures. He thought that art should always contain morals but also portrayed a lot of humor in his work. In the 1700's alcoholism was common in the poorer citizens of London and with gin being the most common because it was cheap and strong it was an easy way for people to forget there struggles and problems.
I wanted to look at Gin Lane and Beer Street.
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| Gin Lane, Etching and engraving on paper, 1751 |
This etching is total chaos, the woman on the steps, who is so drunk she is letting her child fall over the stairs, the man below is dead or dying from starvation. There is also a man hanging himself in the top right corner on the etching. Funeral planners, a pawner and a distillery and in among it all the effects of them, the poor selling there things for pennies, fighting, drinking and dying... and these people are making money from it all. I can really see the evil and horrible life these people had.
The technique is brilliant! obviously it is technically well done and everything looks very realistic but i love the use of tone. There seems to be a lot of different types of marks made, i see some cross hatching and some stippling as well as bits he has left untouched. I know that the darker parts, like the signage and the walls have been left in the acid a bit longer to make them darker but i dont know a lot about Etching or engraving but this is just a very powerful and visually stunning piece of work.
This work goes along with another print called Beer Street.
 |
This print is connected to industry and construction as well as good health and order. This to me seems quite happy and merry. The people in this seem well fed and everyone seems happy. The clothes are clean and all seem to be workers, like black smiths, bakers and fish mongers unlike the etching 'gin lane'.
I can see some dots and stippling, and some highlights on the ground, sky and on the clothes of the people.
These two prints really show the difference between gin and beer, one for the poor and desperate who need an escape from there lives, full of pain and sadness. and beer a good drink for the working man, a refreshing break from a hard days work... not an escape or means to cope with life.
His prints had a lot of social commentary.
 |
| Taste in High Life |
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| Before |
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| After |
These paintings are a bit nicer than the etchings... Before looks like shyness and after looks more like they are overwhelmed by just having sex. The etchings look more like a scene of rape to me... the way he is grabbing her and the dog is barking, things are knocked over and the fear on her face.
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