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The amazing web site of Shakespeare's Sonnets. The Rake's Progress. I. The Inheritance, by Hogarth.
HAKESPEARE'S ONNETS
This is part of the web site of Shakespeare's sonnets
PICTURE GALLERY.
William Hogarth 1697 - 1764.
The
Rake's Progress. Plate I. The Inheritance.
1735.
| Hogarth first achieved fame as an artist through his series of moralistic engravings, commencing with A Harlot's Progress in 1731. This was followed by A Rake's Progress in 1735, Marriage à-la-mode in 1743-5 and Industry and Idleness in 1747 . Originally the sets of pictures were oil paintings which Hogarth subsequently published as engravings. They met with huge success and many copies were printed. The original paintings of A Rake's Progress are extant and are displayed in Sir John Soane's Museum, London. | ||
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story begins with Tom Rakewell, the son of a rich merchant, inheriting
the estate on his father's death. The scene is set in the
family home where the young man is being measured for a new set of
clothes. In the doorway stand a young woman, whom he has
seduced and made pregnant, and her mother, who brings a heap of Tom's
love letters as proof. Tom offers them money as a pay off, as
he is intent on richer pickings. Behind him sits a lawyer at
the table dealing with the inventory of worldly goods and helping
himself to a handful of gold coins. In front of him are documents
giving details of many profitable mortgages, indentures and leaseholds.
Various chests have been ransacked and cupboards opened.
In an upper cupboard the roasting spit and jack have been
locked away, as the old miser had no desire to waste his money on
entertainments. Below are various discarded objects from his
life, including two old shoes, which give the impression that he is in
fact lying there in the coffin. The scrawny cat by the chest
of gold and silver plate seems to be symbolic of his life.
The cover of the old bible has been used to cut a replacement
sole for one of his shoes. Above the fireplace there hangs a
portrait of the old man counting his money, and the cap he is wearing
in the portrait still lies on the mantelpiece. A servant has
dislodged part of the cornice and discovers a hoard of gold coins.
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Shakespeare's Sonnets:
| Start here with the first sonnet |
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Sonnets 1 - 50 | Some links to other sites | ||
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Sonnets 51 - 100 | ||||
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Sonnets 101 - 154 | For
a global search use all the sonnets as
plain text 1-154 or use the first line index. |
If
you have enjoyed this web site, please
visit its companion - Pushkin's Poems |
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| Map of the site | |||||
| Views of London as it was in 1616. |
London Bridge As it was in Shakespeare's day, circa 1600. |
To
search for a line or phrase in the sonnets
go to the sonnets as plain text and use the browser text search engine. |
| Views of London as it was in 1616. |
London Bridge As it was in Shakespeare's day, circa 1600. |
To search for a line or phrase in the sonnets
go to the Sonnets as plain text and use the browser text search engine. |
| Sonnets 1 - 50 | Back to home page | |
| Sonnets 51 - 100 | If
you have enjoyed this web site, please
visit its companion - Pushkin's Poems |
|
| Sonnets 101 - 154 | If you wish to comment on this site please refer to details on the home page. | |
| Copyright ©of this site belongs to Oxquarry Books Ltd |
Copyright ©of this site belongs to Oxquarry Books Ltd
