Hogarth’s Animals

Abstract

Abstract It is well established that discursive innovations in literature and philosophy encouraged pro-animal sentiments in 18th-century England. Far less well known in this regard is the "animal turn" in the graphic arts. This article seeks to redress this imbalance by documenting the extensive representation of animals in the paintings, drawings, and printed engravings of the English artist William Hogarth (1697-1764). It outlines the four chief ways in which Hogarth pictured animals-namely, as hybrids, as edibles, as "pets," and as signs of satire. In so doing the article asks, how did Hogarth see animals? How should we see Hogarth’s animals?