This large black-and-white catalogue for an nGbK exhibition hosted by Staatliche Kunsthalle Berlin is devoted to the complete graphic works of William Hogarth and the history of their strongly varying reception over the centuries. The working group wanted to shed light on the British realist from a different perspective. From the late eighteenth century, Hogarth was often viewed as a chronicler of public morals or the lack of them, and his pictures were consulted as mere illustrations. The catalogue—the only title about Hogarth on the German book market at the time—addresses his oeuvre as the artistic result of the specific situation in pre-industrial London and shows how Hogarth dealt with themes including alcoholism, healthcare, and the legal and prison systems.

Work group: Berthold Hinz, Renate Hinz, Hartmut Krug, Ulrich Lüders, Helmut Otto, Jutta Phillips, Freia Schnackenburg-Hartung