Hogarth, William (1697 London 1764). Tail Piece or The Bathos or manner of Sinking, in Sublime Paintings, inscribed to the Dealers in Dark Pictures. The end of Everything. Engraving by Thomas Cook (c. 1744 – London 1818). 1798. Inscribed: Designed by W. Hogarth. / Engraved by T. Cook. / Published by G. G. & J. Robinson Pater-noster Row December 1^st. 1708. (recte 1808), otherwise as above. 34 x 36.7 cm.

Hogarth catalogue of the Tate Gallery, 1971/72, 222, + Hogarth catalogue Zurich, 1983, 94, both the Hogarth version of 1764 and with ills. – Extensive subtext with – besides verses by Tacitus and Maximus Tyrius – important reference to “Analysis of Beauty” by two cone figures on the sides. While the right one quotes figure 21 of that the similar left one is new since

“ did not occur to the Author, till two or three Years after his publication of the Analysis, in 1754 ” (recte 1753).

It is

“ The Conic Form in which the Goddess of Beauty was worshipd by the Ancients at Paphos in y^e Island of Cyprus. / See the Medals struck when a Roman Emperer visited the Temple. ”

In their intactness these cones have only seemingly nothing in common with the main picture above. Because

“ The allegory has also a personal application. Hogarth characteristically regarded the eclipse of his artistic ideal and his own decline as the collapse of the universe and the end of the world. Time expiring bequeaths every atom of himself to Chaos. His testament is witnessed by the Fates ”

(Cat. Tate Gallery). And the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung of Nov. 8, 1997:

“ Rarely an artist has said goodbye to the world that moving. ”

It is Hogarth’s last graphic work, seven months before his death. Artistically a recourse to Salvator Rosa the title is based on Pope’s poetical counterpart “Peri Bathous” as itself “a parody of Longinus’ ‘Peri Hypsous’”. Correspondingly Lichtenberg overweights this aspect compared with the final message:

“ A ridicule of the so-called academic school of painters … As known they pleased with allegories and compositions mixing up mythology of the ancient ages and newer conditions. ”

The scenery itself of an unheard of radicalism. Since also and especially those attributes otherwise signalling the ending of the times are affected by the ruin: Scythe and hourglass are broken here as are crown, pipe, palette, bottle, bell, the pub “The Worlds End” with the burning globe as its plate, the church as several other symbols of Vanitas. The clock lost its hands, the trees are as dead as the hanged man – and Phoebus in the burning sky waggon together with his horses tumbling down to the bottomless abyss. Finally Saturn himself as god of the time – the winged death – as of the wealth founded by agriculture breathes his last “Finis” while his last will – witnessed by the three Fates Clotho, Lachesis, Atropos – slips from his hand: All and every Atom there of to Chaos. Shortly “H. Nature Bankrupt”.

With the exception of the man in the thin crescent of the decreasing moon who still seems to be alive a bit. As also the gallows are standing fast. To increase the bathos a few puns have been mixed in the whole mess: a cobler’s end and last resp., a rope’s end, and the candle’s end.

Wonderful, only a little later copy of glorious chiaroscuro and adequately wide margins and freshness of this print by Cook who “is also famous as engraver of Hogarth” (Thieme-Becker). As the only one of the posthumous editions he stuck to the original size. – With watermark “1811 W Balston”; comp. the double mark “J Whatman & W Balston 1813” Heawood 117. – In the right outer margin two small slight waterstreaks. The partial little foxing on the back visible in just two spots in the heaven’s part.
Offer no. 7,545 / EUR  291. / Export price EUR  276. (c. US$ 446.) + shipping

– – – The Same in Hogarth’s own engraving. Inscribed: Design’d and Engrav’d by Wm. Hogarth. / Published according to Act of Parliamt. March 3^d. 1764, otherwise as above. 32.3 x 33.5 cm.

Nagler 56. – Extremely wide-margined impression from Hogarth’s original plate reworked about 1822 by James Heath (1757 London 1834, Royal engraver in London, “who early earned himself praise”, Nagler). “Even these prints became relatively rare today though” (Kunstgalerie Esslingen 1970). – Meyers Konv.-Lex., 4. ed., VIII, 625: “A beautiful edition”.
Offer no. 7,738 / EUR  176. (c. US$ 284.) + shipping

– – – The same in Thomas Cook’s smaller repetition. Inscribed: The Bathos. / Hogarth pinxt. / T. Cook sculpt. / Published by Longman, Hurst, Rees, & Orme, Nov. 1^st. 1807. Subject size 15.6 x 17.2 cm (paper size 21.2 x 27.4 cm).

In the lower margin besides the title the two cones only, with no commentary, even without the reference “Fig. 21.”. – Very fine impression. – Trimmed within the extremely wide white plate margin which is somewhat time-stained below and on the right.
Offer no. 9,002 / EUR  50. (c. US$ 81.) + shipping

– – – The Same as engraving by Carl Heinrich Rahl (Hoffenheim 1779 – Vienna 1843). (1818-1823.) 19.5 x 23 cm.

The pure picture only and thus without reference to the Analysis. Upper right “44.”, lower left “Pl. 6.”. – “Very interesting edition” (Nagler) after the engravings in the Duke Albert collection.
Offer no. 7,739 / EUR  87. (c. US$ 140.) + shipping

– – – The Same as engraving by Ernst Ludwig Riepenhausen (1765 Göttingen 1840, engraver at the university there and friend of Gottfried August Bürger). (1794-1835.) Inscribed: W. Hogarth inv. / R. d sc f. 21.5 x 23.5 cm.

Early impression with distinct plate tone and extremely wide lateral margins. – Also the pure picture only. In view of the broad lower plate margin it seems the lower margin’s arrangement was intended though never done. Later the plate was trimmed below accordingly (comp. no. 12.144). Upper right in the plate “44”.

Riepenhausen’s  main  work  (“very valuable”, Nagler), partially even preferred to Hogarth’s own engravings.
Offer no. 7,740 / EUR  125. (c. US$ 202.) + shipping

– – – The same by Riepenhausen as before but on slightly toned paper of minor quality. 22 x 23.8 cm.
Offer no. 14,086 / EUR  87. (c. US$ 140.) + shipping

– – – The Same by Riepenhausen as before in an impression from the plate trimmed in the lower plate margin for the never entered text (comp. no. 7.740) of about 1850 on especially strong paper. 19.7 x 23.5 cm.
Offer no. 12,144 / EUR  115. (c. US$ 186.) + shipping

– – – The Same as lithograph by C. F. Heintz. (1833-36.) Inscribed: 34. / Das Ende aller Dinge (The End of all Things) / lith. C. F. Heintz, otherwise as above. 20.5 x 20.7 cm.

Also the pure picture only, but with extensive subtext à la Lichtenberg in German:

“ As Hogarth got closer to his end he promised to paint the end of all things. And thus this plate resulted, a baroque tragic-comic compilation of innumerable things coming to a close. Death himself has broken his pipe, his scythe, his glass, and breathes the last cloud of tobacco with a Finis! He set chaos as his heir. The World’s End, a pub, falls apart, the times, though just a paper (Hogarth’s own plate ”The Times“), is set alight by a candle’s end. Shoe brush and decoration ribbon, bow and gun, a worn out broom and a shattered bell, a play that has been played, and so much else lies higgledy-piggledy in a mess. Above the sun waggon is burning and a church is just ruins. Only one thing held on – The gallows. It seems also the coming world cannot miss it, so it remains upright anyway. Also his broken palette Hogarth threw amongst. He did not paint again since two (recte about seven) months later he had passed away. ”

The really light foxing visible only against the light. – All in all good though not equally tinted impression.
Offer no. 14,087 / EUR  87. (c. US$ 140.) + shipping

– – – The Same as steel engraving of c. 1840. Inscribed: Das Ende aller Dinge (The End of all Things). 13.5 x 15.5 cm. – The pure picture. – On slightly browned paper.
Offer no. 7,742 / EUR  38. (c. US$ 61.) + shipping

“ … and I wish to thank you for packing it so carefully … ”

(Mr. P. M., August 28, 2003)