The Works of William Hogarth: In a Series of Engravings / With Descriptions, and a Comment on Their Moral Tendency

The work begins with a concise life of the artist, outlining his family background, training, and early ventures, then assembles his engraved plates with descriptive commentary that interprets pictorial detail and intent. It analyzes major narrative series and individual prints, attending to composition, characterization, satirical devices, and technical execution. Anecdotes and contemporary remarks are interspersed to illuminate reception and the artist’s working methods. Throughout, the commentary emphasizes the moral tendency of the images, weighing humor and caricature against didactic purpose while offering critical observations on style and public impact.