Five Standing Muscovites (Aubry de La Mottraye's "Travels throughout Europe, Asia and into Part of Africa...," London, 1724, pl. 313)

Art Historical Context

Behold *Five Standing Muscovites a delicate engraving by William Hogarth from 1723–24, as plate 313 in Aubry de La Mottraye's travelogue *Travels throughout Europe, Asia and into Part of* (London, 1724). This first-state impression captures five Russian men from Moscow in a compact sheet measuring just 2 11/16 x 4 1/4 inches, showcasing Hogarth's early mastery as an engraver before his fame in satirical prints like *A Harlot's Progress*. De La Mottraye, a French adventurer, documented his journeys across continents, offering European audiences rare glimpses into distant cultures during the early 18th century. Hogarth's precise line work renders the figures with lifelike detail—their traditional attire, postures, and expressions evoking the exoticism of Muscovy amid Peter the Great's Westernizing reforms. As a book illustration, the engraving exemplifies the era's booming market for travel literature, blending documentary accuracy with artistic flair to educate and intrigue readers. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1932), this print highlights Hogarth's versatility and the cultural exchange sparked by exploration, inviting us to ponder how 300 years ago, such images shaped perceptions of the "other" in an interconnected world.

About the Artist

William Hogarth|Aubry de La Mottraye · 1697–1764

William Hogarth (1697-1764) was an English painter, printmaker, and pictorial satirist who became the first great English-born artist to attract admiration abroad. Born into poverty in London, the son of a failed schoolmaster who was imprisoned for debt, Hogarth's early experiences with the harsh realities of 18th-century urban life profoundly shaped his artistic vision. After apprenticing with si...