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A print depicts a night-time scene of a crowd of men holding weapons surround a bald man, who looks down upon a dead woman lying on the sidewalk at his feet.

A print depict a crowd of men, some carrying pitchforks and rifles, surrounding a bald man. At the bald man’s feet lay a nearly beheaded woman dead on the sidewalk, a wooden chest and a cloth bag spilling their contents on the street beside her. In the background, there is a wooden fence, a building with a clock, and a large home in the distance. A crescent moon is in the sky as a bat and an owl fly overhead. Text above the image reads "Cruelty in Perfection."

Identification and Creation

Object Number
G9034
People
William Hogarth, British (London 1697 - 1764 London)
Title
Cruelty in Perfection
Other Titles
Series/Book Title: The Four Stages of Cruelty
Alternate Title: The Four Stages of Cruelty, Plate 3.
Classification
Prints
Work Type
print
Date
1751
Culture
British
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/238113

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Etching and engraving
Technique
Etching and engraving
Dimensions
plate: 38.6 x 31.8 cm (15 3/16 x 12 1/2 in.)
Inscriptions and Marks
  • inscription: verso, lower left, graphite: ST of 4 B

State, Edition, Standard Reference Number

State
i/i
Standard Reference Number
P. 189, BM Sat. 3159

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Gray Collection of Engravings Fund
Object Number
G9034
Division
European and American Art
Contact
am_europeanamerican@harvard.edu
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Exhibition History

Verification Level

This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of European and American Art at am_europeanamerican@harvard.edu