William Hogarth - Burning the rumps of at Temple Barr (1802)

Title: Burning the rumps at Temple Barr

Artist: William Hogarth (1697-1764)

Engraver: Thomas Cook (1744-1818)

Year of printing: 1802

Origin: London, United Kingdom

Technique: Original copper-engraving on woven paper

Size (inc. mat): 55 x 66 cm

Size image: 27.5 x 48.5 cm

Professionally matted in acid-free museum quality mat-board, broad margins, sharp impression.

Artist: William Hogarth (1697-1764) was an English painter, engraver, pictorial satirist, social critic, editorial cartoonist and occasional writer on art. As an artist, Hogarth was known as a well-established portrait-painter. However, he became mostly famous as a cartoonist who (through designing and publishing prints) mocked 18th century current affairs through "modern moral subjects" depicted in a humorous / satirical way. During Hogarth's time, art became more commercialised and through the distribution / publishing of prints more accessible to a general audience. In England, the fine arts had little comedy in them before Hogarth. Hogarth's idea was: "painting and engraving modern moral subjects... to treat my subjects as a dramatic writer, my picture was my stage". Most of Hogarth's designs were re engraved by Thomas Cook (1744-1818). Cook was an English engraver and pupil of Simon Francois Ravenet. He was employed by George and John Robinson from 1795 untill 1803 to newly engrave the designs which was sold as William Hogarth's complete works.

Technique: The technique used for this print is copper-engraving. After an artist made a drawing, an engraver would that image (reversed) on a copperplate and would engrave all the details of that image in that plate. After this, ink would be applied on the plate and immediately whipped of the surface, leaving only ink in the grooves. The plate was then placed under a press with a piece of paper on top. After pressing, the ink from the grooves would remain on the paper creating the image.

Depiction: Burning the Rumps at Temple Bar" is Plate 11 from William Hogarth’s renowned 1726 series illustrating Samuel Butler’s mock-heroic poem, Hudibras. Butler’s satirical epic fiercely mocked the Puritans of the English Civil War, and Hogarth’s engravings brought that biting wit to vivid visual life. This specific print captures a chaotic and triumphant historical event from February 1660, right as the Puritan-led "Rump Parliament" was collapsing. In anticipation of the monarchy's restoration, jubilant Londoners flooded the streets to celebrate by literally roasting butcher's meat—"rumps"—over open bonfires in a massive, city-wide visual pun. The backdrop of the engraving features Temple Bar, the historic western gateway to the City of London, framing the riotous mob. Citizens and butchers armed with cleavers crowd the dense composition, gleefully hanging and burning effigies of unpopular politicians. In the foreground, revelers are seen actively stoking fires and hoisting pieces of meat on long spits. Caught in the middle of this aggressive anti-Puritan fervor are the poem's main characters, the bumbling Puritan knight Hudibras and his squire Ralpho. Forced to navigate the hostile crowd, they are depicted making a hasty, disgraced retreat on the right side of the scene. Packed with historical detail and narrative chaos, the engraving remains one of the most dynamic and celebrated compositions of Hogarth's early career