Comments on: Hogarth At Bart’s Hospital

By: Neville Turner

Neville Turner — Tue, 17 Nov 2015 17:54:00 +0000

Good on Dr Martens for promotion of Hogarth and St Bartholomews Hospital one of the truly great teaching hospitals of all time, the hospital charity shop has many prints and postcards of Hogarth An excellent post and great photos.Keep up the good work.

By: Stephen Barker

Stephen Barker — Tue, 17 Nov 2015 10:28:50 +0000

Another reason for Hogarth’s wish to undertake this commission for free was hope to follow in the footsteps of his father in law Sir James Thornhill. Thornhill had painted the Hall at Greenwich Hospital, St Pauls’ Cathedral, Blenheim and many country houses. He was the first English artist to be given a knighthood and was a painter to the King.

It does not seem unreasonable to assume that Hogarth saw this commission as a way of displaying his talents with a view to winning further work and advancing his social standing. By the 1730’s the taste for the Baroque style was falling from fashion with the adoption of the Palladian style which was being promoted by Lord Burlington.

If he had succeeded in winning these large scale commissions we would have been deprived of the works for which he is best known and remembered. So his failure is a mixed blessing.

By: Valerie

Valerie — Mon, 16 Nov 2015 13:02:05 +0000

I do so enjoy your posts and benefit from your curiosity and willingness to share the world you discover with your readers. It educates and informs me, enriches my world, and makes my visits to London more meaningful. Thank you so much.

By: Pauline Taylor

Pauline Taylor — Mon, 16 Nov 2015 11:50:53 +0000

It is hard to believe that this is the work of Hogarth and small wonder that it does not appear among his other work. I can’t help but wonder what would have been here now had the other artist got the commission to do the painting.

By: joan

joan — Mon, 16 Nov 2015 08:16:02 +0000

I suspect that my daughter is not the only teen who has suddenly become aware of Hogarth due to the decision of Dr Martens to produce a range of shoes, boots and satchels in association with the Soane Museum depicting A Rake’s Progress. They are not cheap and have now made an appearance on her Christmas list!

Best wishes,

Joan

By: Debra Matheney

Debra Matheney — Mon, 16 Nov 2015 00:56:16 +0000

Always love a Hogarth story. Anything to keep the 18th century alive. Thanks, Deb