Plate 1, The Fellow ‘Prentices at their Looms
1747
Hogarth sets up a classic tale of two apprentices in this 1747 engraving, contrasting their work ethics right from the start. On the right, Francis Goodchild is the picture of diligence, weaving away with a book of 'The Prentice Guide' open at his feet. On the left, Tom Idle is fast asleep at his loom, a cat playing with the shuttle while a mug of ale sits nearby, hinting at his future downfall. It's the first plate in a moralizing series that tracks their very different fates—one to the Lord Mayor's office, the other to the gallows!
- Technique
- Engraving
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