HOGARTH, William

Inquire · Offered by Peter Harrington

FIRST STAGE OF CRUELY, SECOND STAGE OF CRUELY. Pair of Prints. Originally printed in 1751, each print depicts a different stage in the life of the fictional Tom Nero.Beginning with the torture of a dog as a child in the First stage of cruelty, Nero progresses to beating his horse as a man in the Second stage of cruelty.The prints were intended as a form of moral instruction; Hogarth was dismayed by the routine acts of cruelty he witnessed on the streets of London.

Found via Rare Books Intel, a search across rare-book dealers, auction houses and marketplaces worldwide.