In the early 1730s he produced the first of his unique satirical narratives, which comprise a series of drawings set in a descriptive sequence, like chapters in a novel or scenes in a play. These narratives often convey a moral lesson. Hogarth and His Times includes works that moralize on topics peculiar to Hogarth's London, along with others that teach universal lessons, such as the conviction that good, honest labor has its just rewards. Hogarth's legacy for later generations of artists is also examined, moving back in time from the work of contemporary English artist David Hockney to Hogarth's nineteenth-century followers, to his contemporary imitators. In conjunction with the exhibition the Wallach Art Gallery will host a day-long symposium Nov. 7.
Admission is free.
Hogarth and His Times is organized and circulated by The British Museum and the University of California, Berkeley Art Museum, in cooperation with the Parnassus Foundation. The showing at the Wallach Art Gallery is made possible through the generosity of the Parnassus Foundation, courtesy Jane and Raphael Bernstein.