The Beggars Opera
Medium
Etching; sixth state of six
Dimensions
sheet: 9 5/8 x 10 1/2 in. (24.4 x 26.7 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1917
Accession Number
17.3.888-321
Tags
Art Historical Context
*The Beggar's Opera*, an etching from 1728, captures the vibrant spirit of one of London's most sensational cultural hits. Created in collaboration involving William Hogarth, the era's master of satirical prints, publisher John Bowles, and British artists, this sixth-state impression—measuring 9⅝ × 10½ inches—offers a glimpse into 18th-century theater life. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, it reflects the ballad opera by John Gay, a subversive hit that premiered that same year, mocking Italian grand opera and corrupt society through rogues, thieves, an...
About the Artist
John Bowles|William Hogarth|Anonymous, British, 18th century (British|British|French) · 1700 |1725 |1714 –1755 |1794 |1789
London|British, Sunderland 1725–1794 Bath|French, Avignon 1714–1789 Paris