Hogarth's Works, with life and anecdotal descriptions of his pictures. Volume 3 (of 3)Ireland, John
General
Hogarth's Works, with life and anecdotal descriptions of his pictures. Volume 3 (of 3)
Ireland, John
Hogarth, William, 1697-1764
Under the print of "The Lottery," the artist has given a full
description of his own ideas, which otherwise, at this distance of
time, it would have been difficult to elucidate.
MASQUERADES AND OPERAS--BURLINGTON GATE.
[Illustration: MASQUERADES & OPERAS, BURLINGTON GATE.]
This satirical performance of Hogarth, which is commonly called "The
Small Masquerade Ticket," is supposed to have been invented and drawn
at the instigation of Sir James Thornhill, out of revenge, because
Lord Burlington had preferred Mr. Kent before him to paint for
George the Second at his palace at Kensington; and the leader of the
figures hurrying to a masquerade, crowned with a cap and bells, and
a garter round his right leg, has been said to be intended for that
monarch, who was very partial to those nocturnal amusements,
and bestowed a thousand pounds towards their support. The purse with
a label "£1000," which the satyr holds immediately before him, gives
some probability to the supposition.
The kneeling figure on the show-cloth, pouring gold at the feet of
Cuzzoni the Italian singer (who is drawing the money towards her
with a rake), represents the Earl of Peterborough; and on the label
is written, "Pray accept £8000." Mr. Heidegger, the regulator of the
masquerade, is also exhibited at a window, with the letter H under
him. Of the three figures in the centre of the plate, the middle one
is Lord Burlington, a nobleman of considerable taste in painting and
architecture. On one side of him is Mr. Campbell the architect; on
the other, some artist now unknown. On a board is a display of the
words, "Long Room: Fawkes' dexterity of hand." On the opposite corner
is the figure of Harlequin, pointing to a label, on which is written,
"Dr. Faustus is here." This was a pantomime performed to crowded
houses throughout two seasons.
In this print all the figures have a strong resemblance to those of
Callot; and the follies of the town are very severely satirized by
the representation of multitudes, properly habited, crowding to the
masquerade, opera, and pantomime; whilst the works of our greatest
dramatic writers are trundled through the streets in a wheel-barrow,
and cried as waste paper for shops; among these may be distinguished
Shakspeare, Ben Jonson, Dryden, Congreve, Otway, Farquhar, and
Addison. In the first copy of this print, instead of Ben Jonson's
name on a label, we have "Pasquin, N^o XI." This was a periodical
paper published in 1722-3; and the number specified is particularly
severe on operas, etc.
As a further illustration of the taste of the times, the artist has
given a view of Burlington Gate, with a figure, I believe, intended
to represent the then fashionable artist William Kent, on the summit,
brandishing his palette and pencils, and placed in a more elevated
situation than either Michael Angelo or Raphael, who, seated beneath,
become the two supporters to this favourite of Lord Burlington.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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