page_title: Industry and Idleness
section_title: Plate 1 – The Fellow 'Prentices at their Looms
hierarchical_section_title: Industry and Idleness / The engravings / Plate 1 – The Fellow 'Prentices at their Looms
caption_attribution_description: English: William Hogarth - Industry and Idleness, Plate 1; The Fellow 'Prentices at their Looms
context_page_description: Industry and Idleness is the title of a series of 12 plot-linked engravings created by William Hogarth in 1747, intending to illustrate to working children the possible rewards of hard work and diligent application and the sure disasters attending a lack of both. Unlike his earlier works, such as A Harlot's Progress and Marriage à-la-mode, which were painted first and subsequently converted to engravings, Industry and Idleness was created solely as a set of engravings. Each of the prints was sold for 1 shilling each so 12 for the entire set, which is equivalent in purchasing power to approximately 80 GBP as of 2005. It may be assumed that these prints were aimed for a wider and less wealthy market than his earlier works. The originals currently reside at the British Museum.
context_section_description: In plate 1 the two protagonists are introduced: both are "'prentices" on equal terms with their master, and doing the same work.
  Beyond this framework, the two characters display their respective traits: Francis is busy at work with his loom and shuttle, with his copy of "The Prentice's Guide" at his feet and various wholesome literature tacked up on the wall behind him such as "The London Prentice" and (portentously) "Whitington Lᵈ Mayor".
  Tom Idle leans snoring against his still loom, probably as a result of a huge mug labelled "Spittle Fields" sitting on his loom. A clay pipe is wedged into the handle and a cat is busy interfering with the shuttle. Tacked to the post that he is sleeping against is "Moll Flanders"; his "Prentice's Guide" is also lying on the ground, but in a filthy and shredded state.
  To the right their master, with a thick stick in his hand, looks disappointedly at Thomas.
  The future courses of the two apprentices are marked off for them by the imagery surrounding the frame of the painting: To the left, representing Idle's future, a whip, fetters and a rope; to the right, over Goodchild, a ceremonial mace, sword of state and golden chain. The master's sword segues exactly into the shaft of the mace: more foreshadowing for the second encounter of the two in plate 9.
  Idle's verse:
  Goodchild's:
caption: Exactly equal footing at their first meeting. Tom is on the left, Francis on the right and the master weaver on the extreme right
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