Self-Portrait

From the 1730s, William Hogarth dominated debates about what kind of art was appropriate for Britain and helped to revolutionize the art market. This assertive self-portrait shows Hogarth at the height of his influence, when he had recently completed his first two satirical “modern moral subjects”: The Harlot’s Progress (1732) and The Rake’s Progress (1734). Hogarth thought these series taken from contemporary life were more suited to a modern commercial society than conventional history paintings. The sale of prints after these subjects earned Hogarth a considerable income and freed him from reliance on aristocratic patrons. When this portrait was painted he had just pushed copyright legislation (“Hogarth’s Act” of 1735) through Parliament to protect the profits of his prints from the competition of cheap, pirated editions.

Credit Line: Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection