What Did William Hogarth's Four Stages Of Cruelty Examine In Regards To Animal Protection?

William Hogarth, Commencement Phase of Cruelty, i February 1751. Etching and engraving. Graphic Arts GA113

William Hogarth, Second Stage of Cruelty, i February 1751. Etching and engraving. Graphic Arts GA113

William Hogarth, Cruelty in Perfection, one February 1751. Carving and engraving. Graphic Arts GA113

William Hogarth, The Reward of Cruelty, i February 1751. Etching and engraving. Graphic Arts GA113

William Hogarth (1697-1764) created this impress series "in the hopes of preventing in some degree that vicious handling of poor Animals which makes the streets of London more disagreeable to the human listen, than whatsoever thing what e'er…."
The first plate finds Tom Nero (center) as a young boy torchering a dog.

Text transcribed:

While various Scenes of sportive Woe
The Infant Race employ.
And tortur'd Victims bleeding shew
The Tyrant in the male child

Behold a Youth of gentler Eye
To spare the Creature's pain
O take, he cries — have all my Tart.
Just Tears and Tart are vain.

Larn from this fair Example — You lot
Whom savage Sports delight
How Cruelty disgusts the view
While Pity charms the sight.

In the second plate, Nero is a young human working equally a coach driver. He has been mistreating his horse, which at present has a cleaved leg. All around them are examples of cruelty to animals on the public streets of London.

The generous Steed in hoary Historic period
Subdu'd by Labour lies,
And mourns a roughshod Master'southward rage,
While Nature Strength denies.

The tender lamb o'er drove and faint
Amidst expiring Throws
Bleats along its innocent complaint
And dies beneath the Blows.

Inhuman Wretch! Say whence gain
This coward Cruelty?
What Int'residue springs from barb'rous deeds?
What Joy from Misery?

In Hogarth's 3rd plate, Nero has become a highway robber. He is beingness apprehended for killing Ann Gill, his pregnant lover.

To lawless beloved when in one case betray'd,
before long criminal offense to crime succeeds:
At length beguil'd to theft,
the maid By her beguiler bleeds.

Nevertheless learn, Seducing Human being.'nor Dark.
with all its sable Cloud.
Tin screen the guilty human action from sight;
Foul Murder cries aloud.

The gaping Wounds, and blood stain'd steel.
Now daze his trembling Soul:
But Oh! what Pangs his Breast must feel.
When Decease his knell shall toll.

In the final scene, Nero has been hanged and his trunk is being dissected in the Cutlerian theatre near Newgate prison house. The public was invited to view these gruesome dissections and this scene reflects back on the get-go plate, where the young boys staged their own theater of gruesome operations.

Behold the Villain's dire disgrace!
Not Decease itself can end.
He finds no peaceful Burial-place;
His breathless Corse, no friend.

Torn from the Root, that nicked Tongue,
Which daily snore and curst!
Those Eyeballs, from their Sockets nrung,
That glori'd with lawless animalism!

His Heart, expos'd to prying Eyes,
To Compassion has no Claim:
Only, dreadful! from his Bones shall rise,
His Monument of shame.

Source: https://www.princeton.edu/~graphicarts/2008/12/the_four_stages_of_cruelty.html

Posted by: placeneway1985.blogspot.com

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