the collector's folio

William Hogarth Most Popular Paintings

The 25 artworks by William Hogarth our visitors ask for most, ranked by popularity and presented one by one, with the specification and the price of each hand-painted reproduction.

Edition 2026 · 25 artworks Each artwork painted to order
Linen canvas · Certificate of authenticity · Delivered worldwide William Hogarth · 1697 – 1764

Plate six, from A Rake's Progress

Immerse yourself in Hogarth’s "Plate six" – a vibrant 18th-century satire! Explore this intricate engraving's chaotic tavern scene, masterful technique & historical significance.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 1 of 307 artworks by William Hogarth
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$45634 × 30 cm Commission this artwork

Plate one, from A Rake's Progress

Explore William Hogarth’s "Plate one, from A Rake’s Progress." An intricate engraving showcasing 18th-century satire & creative chaos. Discover its masterful technique & historical significance.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 2 of 307 artworks by William Hogarth
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$38134 × 30 cm Commission this artwork

Marriage A-la-Mode - 3, The Inspection

Explore William Hogarth's satirical masterpiece, 'Marriage A-la-Mode: 3, The Inspection.' Witness societal critique through vivid detail & symbolism – a timeless commentary on class and relationships.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 3 of 307 artworks by William Hogarth
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$18136 × 28 cm Commission this artwork

O the Roast Beef of Old England (

1748 · Tate Britain, London · original 94 x 78 cm

Explore William Hogarth's satirical masterpiece, 'O the Roast Beef of Old England,' depicting 18th-century British society with biting commentary & historical detail. A visual journey into a bygone era.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 4 of 307 artworks by William Hogarth
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$18135 × 29 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$37494 × 78 cm Commission at original size

Satan, Sin and Death (A Scene from Milton

1735 · Tate Britain, London · original 74 x 61 cm

William Hogarth's "Satan, Sin & Death" (1735) vividly depicts Milton’s epic with dramatic symbolism – temptation, morality, and the consequences of sin. A masterpiece showcasing 18th-century British art.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 5 of 307 artworks by William Hogarth
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$18135 × 28 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$28874 × 61 cm Commission at original size

David Garrick as Richard III

1745 · Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool · original 2508 x 1905 cm

Experience William Hogarth's iconic "David Garrick as Richard III" (1745). A dramatic portrait capturing the tormented Shakespearean villain, showcasing ambition & psychological torment. Hand-painted reproduction.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 6 of 307 artworks by William Hogarth
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$18136 × 28 cm Commission this artwork

Marriage à la Mode

1743 · National Gallery, London · original 70 x 91 cm

A searing indictment of Georgian social decay, this satirical masterpiece by William Hogarth captures the tragic complexities of arranged marriage through vivid detail, inviting you to explore this iconic British Rococo work.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 7 of 307 artworks by William Hogarth
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$18136 × 28 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$34591 × 70 cm Commission at original size

Marriage à la Mode

1743 · National Gallery, London · original 70 x 91 cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 8 of 307 artworks by William Hogarth
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$18136 × 28 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$34591 × 70 cm Commission at original size

A Scene from the Beggar's Opera

1728 · National Gallery of Art, Washington · original 51 x 61 cm

A vibrant tableau of 18th-century London life unfolds in William Hogarth's satirical masterpiece A Scene from the Beggar's Opera, inviting you to explore this captivating window into Georgian social drama.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 9 of 307 artworks by William Hogarth
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$18135 × 28 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$24661 × 51 cm Commission at original size

The Painter and his Pug

1745 · Tate Gallery, London · original 90 x 70 cm

Explore William Hogarth’s ‘The Painter and his Pug,’ a captivating 1745 portrait showcasing Baroque realism & a charming pug. Discover this iconic artwork's rich details & historical significance.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 10 of 307 artworks by William Hogarth
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$18128 × 36 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$34270 × 90 cm Commission at original size

An Election Entertainment, plate one from Four Prints of an Election

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 11 of 307 artworks by William Hogarth
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$18137 × 27 cm Commission this artwork

Self portrait

1757 · original 45 x 42 cm

William Hogarth's 1757 Self-Portrait showcases the artist at work, blending realism & Classicism. A glimpse into his creative process & artistic legacy.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 12 of 307 artworks by William Hogarth
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$18132 × 31 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$20845 × 42 cm Commission at original size

Miss Mary Edwards

1742 · The Frick Collection, New York City · original 126 x 101 cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 13 of 307 artworks by William Hogarth
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$18128 × 35 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$536101 × 126 cm Commission at original size

William Hogarth, Portrait of Captain Thomas Coram, 1740 © Coram in the care of the Foundling Museum

View the most popular artwork of William Hogarth ranked #14: William Hogarth, Portrait of Captain Thomas Coram, 1740 © Coram in the care of the Foundling Museum

1740 · the-foundling-museum, London · original 147 x 238 cm

William Hogarth’s portrait of Captain Coram showcases a realistic depiction of the Foundling Hospital founder. Explore this 1740 masterpiece's maritime details & Baroque style.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 14 of 307 artworks by William Hogarth
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$18125 × 41 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$1200147 × 238 cm Commission at original size

Marriage A-la-Mode - 4, The Toilette

Explore William Hogarth's 'Marriage A-la-Mode - 4, The Toilette,' a satirical masterpiece exposing the vanity and corruption of 18th-century English society. Acquire a stunning hand-painted reproduction from WahooArt.com.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 15 of 307 artworks by William Hogarth
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$18136 × 28 cm Commission this artwork

Marriage A-la-Mode - 6, The Lady's Death

William Hogarth's "Marriage A-la-Mode: The Lady’s Death" is a satirical masterpiece exposing 18th-century societal decay through vivid detail & storytelling. Explore its rich context and explore the original artwork.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 16 of 307 artworks by William Hogarth
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$18136 × 28 cm Commission this artwork

Southwark Fair

1733 · original 120 x 151 cm

Discover William Hogarth's vibrant 1733 masterpiece 'Southwark Fair,' a lively depiction of a bustling festival scene. Rich in color, dynamic composition, and historical charm—perfect for art collectors and enthusiasts.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 17 of 307 artworks by William Hogarth
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$18136 × 28 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$698151 × 120 cm Commission at original size

The Banquet

1755 · original 101 x 127 cm

Discover William Hogarth’s "The Banquet" (1755) – a dynamic oil painting of a lavish 18th-century feast. Explore its realism, symbolism & rich colors at Bangor University!

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 18 of 307 artworks by William Hogarth
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$73135 × 28 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$1089127 × 101 cm Commission at original size

Self portrait

1745 · original 90 x 70 cm

William Hogarth's 'Self-Portrait' (1745) captures the artist amidst books and his dog, reflecting his life as an observer of London society & a pioneering satirical painter. A unique glimpse into his world.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 19 of 307 artworks by William Hogarth
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$18128 × 36 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$34270 × 90 cm Commission at original size

William Hogarth, The March of the Guards to Finchley, 1750 © The Foundling Museum

1750 · the-foundling-museum, London · original 133 x 100 cm

Explore William Hogarth’s satirical masterpiece, ‘The March of the Guards to Finchley,’ a vibrant 1750 oil painting depicting London's Jacobite defense. A unique piece of art history!

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 20 of 307 artworks by William Hogarth
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$48136 × 27 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$853133 × 100 cm Commission at original size

A Scene from The Beggar's Opera

1729 · original 79 x 89 cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 21 of 307 artworks by William Hogarth
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$18135 × 29 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$36489 × 79 cm Commission at original size

Marriage A-la-Mode - 2, The Tête à Tête

Explore William Hogarth's satirical masterpiece 'Marriage A-la-Mode - 2, The Tête à Tête,' examining social critique and moral decay through meticulous detail & humor – a precursor to modern art.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 22 of 307 artworks by William Hogarth
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$18136 × 28 cm Commission this artwork

The Painter and his Pug

Tate Britain, London · original 90 x 69 cm

Discover Hogarth's self-portrait 'The Painter and his Pug'! A captivating glimpse into the artist’s life, featuring his beloved dog Trump & showcasing Baroque realism.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 23 of 307 artworks by William Hogarth
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$18128 × 36 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$34069 × 90 cm Commission at original size

Plate three, from A Rake's Progress

Witness Tom Rakewell's downfall in Hogarth's 'Plate Three.' This satirical engraving captures a pivotal moment of arrest and excess, revealing 18th-century London's dark side.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 24 of 307 artworks by William Hogarth
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$18134 × 30 cm Commission this artwork

The Four Times of Day: Night

1738 · Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 25 of 307 artworks by William Hogarth
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$18129 × 35 cm Commission this artwork

The artist

William Hogarth

1697 – 1764

Quick facts

Best occasionsaccent, statement
Topics exploredsocial commentary, 18th century, satire, portraiture, british art
Works on APS307
Museums on APSTate Britain, National Gallery, Tate Gallery, Metropolitan Museum of Art, National Gallery of Art
Top 3 worksPlate six, from A Rake's Progress, Plate one, from A Rake's Progress, Marriage A-la-Mode - 3, The Inspection
Emotional tonereflective
Color intensitymonochromatic, balanced
Typical colorsespresso

Biography

The Life of William Hogarth

London, 1697. The air in Bartholomew Close is thick with the sounds of a growing metropolis. Here, William Hogarth enters a world of precarious stability. His father, Richard Hogarth, struggles to make a living as a Latin schoolmaster and textbook writer. The family's finances fluctuate; at one point, Richard faces the harsh reality of imprisonment for debt in the Fleet Prison. This early exposure to the instability of urban life leaves a mark. William Hogarth grows up watching the gap between the social classes, a perspective that will eventually define his career as a painter, engraver, satirist, cartoonist, and writer.

The boy's path is not one of inherited wealth or easy patronage. Instead, it is a life shaped by the grit of the city. He moves through the streets of London, observing the characters that populate the coffee houses and the fairs. His mother, Anne Gibbons, provides the domestic anchor to a life often marked by the economic shifts of the era. By the time he begins to make his mark, he is already a man of many disciplines, using ink and paint to dissect the very society that raised him.

A Harlot's Progress (1731/1732)
A Rake's Progress (1735)
Marriage A-la-Mode (1743–1745)

Early Life, Family and Training

London, 1697. The son of Richard Hogarth, a Latin schoolmaster and occasional writer, William grows up amidst the shifting fortunes of a man struggling to maintain a footing in the city. The instability of the household takes a sharp turn when Richard is imprisoned in the Fleet Prison for five years due to unpaid debts. This period of hardship, marked by the precariousness of the family's finances, leaves a lasting impression on the young observer of the metropolis.

By 1714, the focus shifts to the technicalities of craft. Hogarth enters an apprenticeship with Ellis Gamble, a gold and silver engraver operating in Leicester Fields. He learns the precision required for trade cards and similar products, developing a fundamental command of the copper plate. This technical grounding provides the tools for a career that will eventually move beyond mere commercial reproduction.

The trajectory changes as he moves toward formal artistic study. In 1720, he enrolls at the St Martin's Lane Academy. His training expands further under Sir James Thornhill, the serjeant painter to George I. Under Thornhill, the focus shifts from the small-scale precision of engraving to the broader complexities of painting and composition. He moves from the meticulous work of a craftsman toward the grander scale of fine art.

Technique and Artistic Style

Hogarth moves between the precision of realistic portraiture and the rapid, sequential energy of comic strip-like series. He does not merely paint; he constructs narratives. This approach finds its peak in his development of "modern moral subjects," a method where he uses visual storytelling to critique the social fabric. He treats the canvas and the copper plate as stages for unfolding drama, often utilizing a blend of humor and biting satire to drive his points home.

The technical foundation of his work lies in his mastery of engraving. He understands the weight of a line and the power of a print to reach a mass audience. In 1753, he shifts from the visual to the theoretical with the publication of his Analysis of Beauty. Here, he moves beyond mere observation to codify his aesthetic theories, specifically stressing the importance of the "serpentine line" as a fundamental principle of beauty and movement.

A Harlot's Progress (1731/1732)
A Rake's Progress (1735)
Marriage A-la-Mode (1743–1745)

Key Works and Series

The narrative power of his work finds its peak in the "modern moral subjects," a series of paintings designed to function like visual novels. In 1731/1732, A Harlot's Progress traces the tragic downfall of a young woman arriving in London, only to succumb to the city's temptations. This pattern of social descent continues in 1735 with A Rake's Progress, which follows Tom Rakewell as he squanders an inheritance on gambling and debauchery. These works do not merely depict scenes; they chart the consequences of moral decay through meticulous detail and symbolic elements.

The focus shifts from individual ruin to the collision of social classes in the series Marriage A-la-Mode, produced between 1743 and 1745. Here, the artist skewers the disastrous results of arranged marriages and the pursuit of status. The tension between the opulent interiors of the wealthy and the squalid realities of the poor becomes a recurring theme. Even in his later years, the commentary remains sharp. In 1748, O the Roast Beef of Old England addresses national identity, while 1750's The March of the Guards to Finchley presents a chaotic, boisterous view of military life, contrasting disciplined ranks in the distance with the raucous behavior of soldiers in the foreground.

A Harlot's Progress (1731/1732)
A Rake's Progress (1735)
Marriage A-la-Mode (1743–1745)
O the Roast Beef of Old England (1748)
The March of the Guards to Finchley (1750)

Legacy and Lasting Impact

The 18th century sees the emergence of a distinctly British school of art, a movement helped into being by Hogarth's refusal to rely on Continental models. He moves beyond the mere imitation of foreign styles to establish a visual language rooted in the streets of London. This shift is significant; he becomes the most important English artist of his generation. His influence is so pervasive that the term "Hogarthian" enters the lexicon to describe his specific brand of satirical observation.

The commercial reality of his success brings a new kind of conflict. As his prints gain massive popularity, they also attract a wave of unauthorized reproductions. Plagiarism becomes a constant threat to his livelihood. This tension forces a legal confrontation that changes the landscape of intellectual property. He lobbies for the Copyright Act of 1735, a move that secures the rights of creators against those who would profit from their labor without permission.

His method of storytelling through sequential imagery creates a blueprint for future media. He functions as a direct precursor to the modern political cartoon and the comic strip. By using a series of images to dissect social behavior, he provides a template for visual narratives that rely on reading rather than just looking. His influence stretches from the satirical prints of the 1700s into the very foundations of popular culture.

Where to See the Works Today

The physical traces of Hogarth's social critiques remain scattered across major institutions. In London, the National Gallery houses pieces from the Marriage à la Mode series, where the visual narrative of social decay is preserved. Nearby, Tate Britain holds Satan, Sin and Death (A Scene from Milton), a work that highlights his ability to translate complex literary themes into visual form. The Foundling Museum also maintains a presence in the city, holding The March of the Guards to Finchley, a piece that captures the chaotic energy of 18th-century military life.

The reach of his work extends beyond the United Kingdom. In New York City, the Frick Collection preserves Miss Mary Edwards, a portrait that reflects his skill in capturing individual character. These collections offer a way to encounter the specific details of his engravings and paintings in their original contexts. Visitors can find his influence in the way these institutions manage the tension between fine art and popular satire.

Questions & Answers

How is William Hogarth's career divided into periods?

The Chronicle of William Hogarth is a scroll-driven timeline that presents the artist's works in chronological order, grouped into career-period chapters.

Can I browse William Hogarth's works by mood?

William Hogarth's works can be browsed by mood on the artist's Mood Room page, which arranges the artworks by their recorded moods.

How do I find works by William Hogarth in a specific palette?

William Hogarth's works can be browsed by color palette on the artist's By Palettes page.

By the WahooArt.com Editorial Team Updated Oct. 13, 2026

Collector's quiz

In which city was William Hogarth born?
What was Hogarth's father's profession?
Which series of paintings follows the downfall of a woman named Mary?
Under which artist did Hogarth study to hone his skills in painting and composition?
Which of these was a series of pictures designed by Hogarth to tell a story?

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