Critical reception of William Hogarth in the nineteenth century - Essay Example

According to Gray (140), his contemporaries compared Fedotov who is a Russian artist with Hogarth; for instance, Druzhinin describing Fedotov drawing of a woman leading her drunken husband through the streets claims that Hogarth would not refuse a subject rich in dramatic and satirical potential. Although the two artists use romantic themes of the misunderstood, impoverished artist and enforce pathos of the situation with abundant symbolic detail. Druzhinin later lamented the loss of a man who in his opinion believes could have been Russia’s Hogarth because Fedotov had the potential to go beyond the achievements of the famous English artist.

Other commentators of Fedotov did not encourage him to emulate Hogarth; for instance, Bryullov advised him not to be attracted by complexities of Hogarth but encouraged Fedotov to follow nature (Gray 140). Until 18th century, continental Europe set the artistic agenda with the first artist using true English style and sensibility being William Hogarth who exposed vice and corruption in the 18th century London (Else 69). While Hogarth satirized the society other artists were busy showing the best light of the society in the 18th century.

Through the nineteenth and twentieth century there were various views; however in the Victorian time, Hogarth emerged as a popular figure as well as honest and patriotic Englishman (Bindman and William 13). Hogarth issues regarding artistic origins as well as background emerged in early 1780s with publication of the fourth volume of Horace Walpole’s Anecdotes of painting in England that dealt with contemporaries including Hogarth. Considering the role of Hogarth’s widow following his death, there is an indication of moral conversion in the widow through suppression of indecent print and she engaged with Rev.

Dr Trusler in producing a [popular volume known as Hogarth Moralized in 1768.