From an Original Sketch of William Hogarth's in the Collection of Mr. Morrison

Art Historical Context

This etching, titled *From an Original Sketch of Hogarth's in the of Mr. Morrison*, captures the macabre essence of William Hogarth's original drawing through the skilled hands of engravers George Taylor and Richard Lives. Dated March 1, 1782, it reproduces a sketch once owned by collector Mr. Morrison, featuring imagery of skeletons and men—a nod to Hogarth's penchant satirical, moralistic scenes that critiqued human folly and mortality. Now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, thanks to the Harris Brisbane Dick Fund of 1932, it measures 11 3/16 x 15 7/16 inches, inviting close inspection of its intricate details. Hogarth (1697–1764), a pioneering English artist, blended painting and printmaking to make art accessible to the masses, often infusing works with dark humor and social commentary. Livesay and Taylor's etching technique—incising lines into a metal plate with acid—allowed faithful reproduction of Hogarth's dynamic composition, preserving the sketch's expressive power for wider audiences long after his death. As a print, this piece highlights 18th-century fascination with Hogarth's genius, bridging private sketches to public discourse on life's transience. Visitors, gaze upon the skeletal figures and ponder Hogarth's timeless wit!

About the Artist

George Taylor|William Hogarth|Richard Livesay (British|British|British) · 1705 |1697 |1750 –1758 |1764 |1826

British, ca. 1710–1758|British, London 1697–1764 London|British, 1750–1826 Southsea, near Portsmouth, Hampshire