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A Rakes Progress, 1763; plate VIII of VIII. Artist: William Hogarth
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A Rakes Progress, 1763; plate VIII of VIII. Artist: William Hogarth
A Rakes Progress, 1763; plate VIII of VIII. True to his nature Tom Rakewell has run through a vast fortune through indulgence in all the luxuries of modern living. He has lived riotously, both gambling and whoring. He has married a rich old widow and been ruined a second time. Now the rake is raving mad and shackled for his own safety in Bedlam, the London lunatic asylum. He is comforted by Sarah Young, the poor girl that he had seduced with a false promise of marriage while he was a student at Oxford. Behind two fashionable women have come to view the hospitals inmates
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Media ID 15166932
© London Metropolitan Archives (City of London) / Heritage-Images
Asylum Bedlam Bethlehem Hospital Bethlem Hospital Bethlem Royal Hospital Comfort Fiddle Fiddler Grief Hogarth Hospital Immoral Immorality Insanity Madness Manacle Old Bethlehem Hospital Rake Sarah Young Sick Sickness Stringed Instrument Tom Rakewell Violin Violinist W Hogarth William Hogarth Manacles
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EDITORS COMMENTS
This print captures a pivotal moment in William Hogarth's iconic series, "A Rake's Progress". Plate VIII of VIII portrays the tragic downfall of Tom Rakewell, a man who squandered his vast fortune on indulgent luxuries. True to his nature, he engaged in reckless gambling and promiscuity, leading him to ruin not once but twice. Now confined within the walls of Bedlam, London's infamous lunatic asylum, Tom is shown in shackles for his own safety. In this scene of despair and madness, he finds solace in the presence of Sarah Young - a poor girl whom he had seduced with false promises during his time as an Oxford student. As we observe this haunting image unfold before our eyes, two fashionable women stand behind them; drawn by morbid curiosity to witness the inmates of this grim institution. The engraving beautifully captures the interior setting of Bethlem Royal Hospital with its somber atmosphere. Hogarth masterfully uses satire to critique society's immorality and excesses during 18th-century England. Through intricate details such as a fiddler playing mournful music on a stringed instrument nearby, Hogarth emphasizes the grief and sickness that have consumed Tom Rakewell's life. This thought-provoking print from Guildhall Library and Art Gallery serves as both a historical document and an artistic masterpiece that continues to resonate with audiences today.
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