An Emblematical Print on the South Sea Scheme
William Hogarth (British, 1697–1764), 1721, Etching and engraving
Dutch bubble prints helped inspire a young William Hogarth to take up graphic satire. Like other such works, his portrayal of the South Sea Bubble offers a crowded metropolitan view infused with allegory. Hogarth likens the gamble of speculation to a sexually pleasurable ride on a carousel, one advertised by a lustful goat, and situated amidst recognizable London landmarks, including the Monument to the Great Fire (adapted here to commemorate the disaster of 1720). At left, a devil butchers Fortuna’s body and tosses her flesh to the hordes. The wheel upon which the flayed figure of Honesty lies, as well as the ladder at center, suggest an inescapable pattern of ascendancy and downfall.
: Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs
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