About this artwork
William Hogarth illustrated the story of a sad-sack adventurer named Hudibras in twelve engravings. His source was Samuel Butler’s satirical, mock-heroic poem written in the vein of Cervantes and Rabelais. Ridiculing the puritan party’s attempts to overthrow the British monarchy during the Great Civil War of 1640, Butler’s poem exposes the hypocrisy and pretensions of the Presbyterians, Independents, and Zealots who hoped to establish themselves as leaders.
When Hudibras mistakes a traditional parade celebrating nagging wives for a satanic gathering, it quickly turns into a food fight targeted at the erstwhile adventurer:
“At that an Egg let fly—
Hit him directly o’er the Eye,
And running down his Cheek, besmeard,
With Orange tawny-slime his Beard.”
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Status
- Currently Off View
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Department
- Prints and Drawings
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Artist
- William Hogarth
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Title
- Hudibras and the Skimmington, plate seven from Hudibras
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Place
- England (Artist's nationality:)
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Date
- 1725–1726
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Medium
- Engraving in black on cream paper edge mounted on cream wove paper
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Dimensions
- Image: 24.6 × 50 cm (9 11/16 × 19 11/16 in.); Plate: 27 × 51.1 cm (10 11/16 × 20 1/8 in.); Primary support: 27.1 × 51.2 cm (10 11/16 × 20 3/16 in.); Secondary support: 35.2 × 57.8 cm (13 7/8 × 22 13/16 in.)
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Credit Line
- Sara R. Shorey Endowment; purchased with funds provided by Phyllis Neiman and the Woman's Board in honor of Phyllis Neiman
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Reference Number
- 2005.136.7
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IIIF Manifest
- https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/184612/manifest.json
Extended information about this artwork
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.
