The New Metamorphosis, Plate 2: Fantasio at Church 1723 - 1724

William Hogarth produced this etching, "The New Metamorphosis, Plate 2: Fantasio at Church," sometime in the first half of the 18th century. In it, he depicts a scene of ostentatious and irreverent behavior in a house of worship. Made in England, Hogarth's image speaks to the growing tensions between traditional religious authority and the rising tide of secularism and commercialism. Note how the composition is divided. Above, the musicians in the balcony and the crucifix on the altar compete for attention. Below, the congregation's foppish fashions suggest that social status is of greater concern to them than piety. Hogarth uses the visual codes of the church setting to critique the very values it's meant to uphold. Is this church a place of spiritual reflection or simply a stage for social performance? By analyzing the fashion, architecture, and religious iconography of the time, we can unpack Hogarth's commentary on the social structures of his day, and how institutions like the church were being challenged by new social norms.