Hogarth William (1697-1764) Engraving "the Gambling House"

"The Gaming House", a black engraving made in 1735 plate number 6 of the series A Rake's Progress. Size of the work alone 42 x 35 cm Size with frame 57 x 52 cm. wooden frame. (some foxing) The engraving in question, The Gaming House, is the sixth plate of the series A Rake's Progress (The Career of a Debauched Man) made by William Hogarth in 1735. This series of eight engravings tells the story of the descent into hell of Tom Rakewell, a young man who inherits a fortune but quickly squanders it through a life of debauchery and excess. In this sixth scene, Tom is shown in a gambling house, a place of vice where he loses all his money. The image illustrates the chaos and tension of gambling, with players in the grip of frenzy and despair, some ruined and others cheating. This plate is a scathing critique of the dangers of gambling and the self-destructive behaviour of 18th-century London high society. The complete series, originally painted in 1733–34 before being engraved in 1735, is now partly held in Sir John Soane's Museum in London. The engravings were very popular and influenced many artists with their detailed visual narrative and social satire.