Hudibras' First Adventure (Twelve Large Illustrations for Samuel Butler's Hudibras, Plate 3) 1725 - 1726

William Hogarth created this print, "Hudibras' First Adventure," using engraving, a technique deeply rooted in the history of reproduction and the dissemination of ideas. The intricate lines and textures were achieved by meticulously cutting into a metal plate. This was a laborious process, demanding a high degree of skill and precision. The image depicts a scene from Samuel Butler's satirical poem "Hudibras," in which the main character goes on a series of misadventures. Hogarth was particularly interested in the material conditions of everyday life, using his art to comment on the social and political issues of his time. Hogarth’s choice of printmaking as a medium is crucial, as it allowed his work to reach a wide audience, beyond the traditional elite. The work is tied to the rise of a print culture, reflective of an increasingly literate and politically engaged public, where debates about labor, politics, and consumption were widely circulated. The work involved in producing this print—from the engraver's labor to the social satire it conveys—challenges any neat distinction between the fine arts and the wider world of making.