Social Political & Satirical

29x38 cm

THE BRUISER, C.CHURCHILL (once the Rev:^d!) in the Character of a Russian Hercules, Regaling himself after having Kill'd the Monster Caricatura thet so Sorley Gall'd his Virtuous friend, the Heaven born WILKES. - But he had a Club this Dragon to Drub,   Or he had ne'er don't I warrant ye; - ^{Dragon of Wantley}
Design'd and Engraved by W.^m Hogarth |  Published according to Act of Parliament August 1.1763.
An attack on poet and satirist Charles Churchill, the engraving is a reworking of Hogarth's self portrait, The painter and his Pug. His self portrait is replaced with a drooling bear representing Churchill wearing worn clerical bands, holding a beer and a club with "Lye" engraved on the sawn branches. The dog, Trump, is urinating on Churchill's "Epistle to Hogarth"

William Hogarth (1697-1764), apprenticed as an engraver, became the most signifiant artist and printmaker of his time, his satirical caricatures and political cartoons establishing the genre. From 1730 Hogarth established his own business publishing and selling his own prints. After his death his plates passed to his wife Jane who continued issuing his prints until her own death in 1789. The plates were then acquired by publisher John Boydell and sold again, at the Boydell bankruptcy sale in 1818 to Baldwin & Cradock who began selling prints from 1820. Noted engraver James Heath was employed to strengthen some of the engraved lines and this final issue of 1822 is the last to use Hogarth's original engraved plates.
There is a water stain to the left right corner of the paper outside the plate area but otherwise a very good clean example from the sought after Heath edition of 1822.