Hogarth's Servants
Encyclopedia
Heads of Six of Hogarth's Servants is an oil-on-canvas painting by William Hogarth
from c.1750-5. Measuring 63 centimetres (24.8 in) high and 75.5 centimetres (29.7 in) wide, it depicts the heads of six of his servants. It is held by in the Tate Gallery
in London.
This is evidently a late work by Hogarth, demonstrating his mastery as a portrait painter. The subject matter and composition are unusual, with six studies of heads crammed in a small space, distributed in three groups of two, all lit by a light source at the upper left. While six heads are finished, space for a seventh has been marked out roughly in the lower left corner but was not completed. The left edge of the canvas was later cut to frame the six other heads better, cutting off part of the absent seventh head.
The painting shows three men and three women, of varying ages from youth to maturity, reminiscent of the seven ages of man, and varying skin tones. Hogarth is exploring the differences of human physiognomy as he had in his print Characters and Caricaturas
of 1743. Each subject looks in a different direction, with no lines of vision intersecting, as if awaiting orders from their master. The three women are of similar ages, between 16 and 40. The male figures progress from a boy in the top centre, a man at the bottom centre, and a more elderly man to the top right (possibly Ben Ives; others may be "Samuel", "Mary Lewis", or "Mrs Chappel"). They could be a coachman, valet, page, housekeeper and two housemaids. The servants are shown in their natural appearance, in their usual work clothes, capturing their individual characters. It was painted with warmth and sensitivity, demonstrating Hogarth's affection for his servants, and a lightness of touch reminiscent of his earlier uncompleted portrait of The Shrimp Girl
.
The work was not commissioned, but rather painted for Hogarth's own amusement. It may have been hung in Hogarth's studio to demonstrate his ability as a portraitist to his patrons. It was inherited by Hogarth's wife after his death, and left to her cousin Mary Lewis in 1789. It was sold at Greenwood's in April 1790; displayed at the British Institution
in 1817 and Suffolk Street Gallery in 1833. It was sold at Christie's
in 1879 and again in 1892, when it was bought by the National Gallery
with money from the Lewis Fund. It was transferred to the Tate Gallery in 1960.
William Hogarth
William Hogarth was an English painter, printmaker, pictorial satirist, social critic and editorial cartoonist who has been credited with pioneering western sequential art. His work ranged from realistic portraiture to comic strip-like series of pictures called "modern moral subjects"...
from c.1750-5. Measuring 63 centimetres (24.8 in) high and 75.5 centimetres (29.7 in) wide, it depicts the heads of six of his servants. It is held by in the Tate Gallery
Tate Gallery
The Tate is an institution that houses the United Kingdom's national collection of British Art, and International Modern and Contemporary Art...
in London.
This is evidently a late work by Hogarth, demonstrating his mastery as a portrait painter. The subject matter and composition are unusual, with six studies of heads crammed in a small space, distributed in three groups of two, all lit by a light source at the upper left. While six heads are finished, space for a seventh has been marked out roughly in the lower left corner but was not completed. The left edge of the canvas was later cut to frame the six other heads better, cutting off part of the absent seventh head.
The painting shows three men and three women, of varying ages from youth to maturity, reminiscent of the seven ages of man, and varying skin tones. Hogarth is exploring the differences of human physiognomy as he had in his print Characters and Caricaturas
Characters and Caricaturas
Characters and Caricaturas is a engraving by English artist William Hogarth, that he produced as the subscription ticket for his 1743 series of prints, Marriage à-la-mode, and which was eventually issued as a print in its own right...
of 1743. Each subject looks in a different direction, with no lines of vision intersecting, as if awaiting orders from their master. The three women are of similar ages, between 16 and 40. The male figures progress from a boy in the top centre, a man at the bottom centre, and a more elderly man to the top right (possibly Ben Ives; others may be "Samuel", "Mary Lewis", or "Mrs Chappel"). They could be a coachman, valet, page, housekeeper and two housemaids. The servants are shown in their natural appearance, in their usual work clothes, capturing their individual characters. It was painted with warmth and sensitivity, demonstrating Hogarth's affection for his servants, and a lightness of touch reminiscent of his earlier uncompleted portrait of The Shrimp Girl
The Shrimp Girl
The Shrimp Girl is a painting by the English artist William Hogarth. It was painted around 1740–45, and is held by the National Gallery, London....
.
The work was not commissioned, but rather painted for Hogarth's own amusement. It may have been hung in Hogarth's studio to demonstrate his ability as a portraitist to his patrons. It was inherited by Hogarth's wife after his death, and left to her cousin Mary Lewis in 1789. It was sold at Greenwood's in April 1790; displayed at the British Institution
British Institution
The British Institution was a private 19th-century society in London formed to exhibit the works of living and dead artists; it was also known as the Pall Mall Picture Galleries or the British Gallery...
in 1817 and Suffolk Street Gallery in 1833. It was sold at Christie's
Christie's
Christie's is an art business and a fine arts auction house.- History :The official company literature states that founder James Christie conducted the first sale in London, England, on 5 December 1766, and the earliest auction catalogue the company retains is from December 1766...
in 1879 and again in 1892, when it was bought by the National Gallery
National gallery
The National Gallery is an art gallery on Trafalgar Square, London, United Kingdom.National Gallery may also refer to:*Armenia: National Gallery of Armenia, Yerevan*Australia:**National Gallery of Australia, Canberra...
with money from the Lewis Fund. It was transferred to the Tate Gallery in 1960.