Social Political & Satirical

33x39 cm

Set of four plates from the last edition of the original Hogarth engravings, the 'Heath Edition'.
Plate 1: FIRST STAGE OF CRUELTY
Plate 2: SECOND STAGE OF CRUELTY
Plate 3: CRUELTY IN PERFECTION
Plate 4: THE REWARD OF CRUELTY 
Each plate has the imprint: Design'd by W.Hogarth. Published according to Act of Parliament Feb.1.1751.
Published in: The Works of William Hogarth, from the Original Plates restored by James Heath…London:
Printed for Baldwin & Cradock, Paternoster Row, by G. Woodall, Angel Court, Skinner Street.
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. 
Each plate in very good condition printed on wove paper in the centre of the page (page size: 49x63cm). There is a water stain to the top left corner of each page but the large margins mean that is no closer than 6cm to the plate edge. 
Price is for the set of four prints.
Size below is the approximate size of the printed area of each plate.