Label Text:
This is a third state. These four prints are based on a series of paintings by Hogarth currently in the collection of Sir John Soane's Museum, London. Because of the complexity of the compositions Hogarth required assistance from several other engravers, and the series took four years to complete. The first plate depicts the indignities the candidates must endure in order to win the votes of their boorish constituents. The second shows two candidates attempting to bribe the same voter. The third features a cast of mentally and physically disabled voters assembled to cast their ballots. The final print in the series illustrates the price of victory. Each work in the series is dedicated to a different prominent politician, and Hogarth's implication is that these men are solidly above the shenanigans depicted in this cycle.
Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=SC+1923.7.44 |
