First Stage of Cruelty; Second Stage of Cruelty; Cruelty in Perfection; The Reward of Cruelty.
London: Robert Sayer, 1768. Print. Cruelty still alive & kicking 275 years later. A series of four moralizing prints, showing the easy path from mistreating animals to convicted criminal being dissected. The main character, Tom Nero, progresses from cruelty to a dog to beating his horse to murdering a woman he has impregnated to his corpse on a dissection table, a dog on the floor eating the heart. "In common with other prints by Hogarth, such as Beer Street and Gin Lane, The Four Stages of Cruelty was issued as a warning against immoral behavior, showing the easy path from childish thug to convicted criminal. His aim was to correct "that barbarous treatment of animals, the very sight of which renders the streets of our metropolis so distressing to every feeling mind". Hogarth loved animals, picturing himself with his pug in a self-portrait, and marking the graves of his dogs and birds at his home in Chiswick. *
The work was first published in 1751. These are from the French edition of Hogarth's works, published by Sayer in London. In this edition, there are captions on the left and right bottom margin. The central caption records the title of the print and "Design'd by Wm. Hogarth." Very dark impressions, copper engravings, platemark 14 x 10 1.4" on laid paper 18 3/8 x 11 1/8".
*Wikipedia. Very good condition. Item #29365
Price: $800.00