Plates four, five, and six from A Harlot's Progress 1732 - 1761

Here we have William Hogarth’s rendition of Plates four, five, and six from A Harlot's Progress. The fan, a fashionable accessory, becomes a canvas for Hogarth’s moral narrative. The central image is a stark scene: the harlot’s demise, her coffin surrounded by callous figures. This tableau connects to broader allegories of mortality seen in vanitas paintings, a grim reminder of life’s ephemerality. Note how the flanking scenes depict her descent into further degradation. This cyclical motif—the rise and fall—echoes in countless narratives throughout history, from biblical tales to Greek tragedies. The emotional weight lies in our subconscious recognition of this pattern. The harlot’s story touches a nerve, it's a primal fear of ruin and societal rejection. This fan, then, is more than a mere object. It's a poignant reminder of our shared human fate, a cycle of fortune and misfortune that continues to resonate through time.