Fodina argentea Sahlensis – A Silver Mine at Sala - I (from Aubry de La Mottraye's "Travels throughout Europe, Asia and into Part of Africa...," London, 1724, vol. II, pl. 33, no. 1)

Art Historical Context

Behold *Fodina argentea Sahlensis – A Mine at Sala - I*, a vivid etching and engraving from 1723–24, by William Hogarth after observations by traveler Aubry de La Motaye. Featured in volume II, plate 33 of La Mottraye's celebrated *Travels throughout Europe, Asia and into of Africa* (London, 1724), this print captures the bustling underground world of Sweden's renowned Sala silver mine. Human figures labor amid towering buildings and roaring fires, likely smelters or forges, offering a rare glimpse into 18th-century industrial life. Hogarth, then an emerging artist known for his satirical wit, employed precise etching and engraving techniques to render intricate details—from the miners' tools to the flickering flames—with remarkable clarity on a modest 9 11/16 x 6 11/16-inch sheet. This documentary style marked an early departure from his later moralistic prints, showcasing his skill in topographical illustration for a curious European audience hungry for exotic travel accounts. As part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints collection (Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1932), the work highlights the era's fascination with global resources and mining technology, bridging art, exploration, and economics. Visitors will appreciate how it transports us to the smoky depths of Sala, a site still echoing with centuries of silver extraction.

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...