Black People in Britain: Hogarth - The Savage and the Civilised

William Hogarth's representations of black people in the 18th century.

La Motraye illustrations of 1724 to the Election series of 1750s. Sometimes black people are used as a literary device, as in the Burlington Gate print where Hogarth evokes the adage about 'washing a blackamoor white', or in the Rake's Progress sketch where he evokes the term 'black Masters' – Hogarth's satire in that painting being directed against collectors of dark and dingy art. At other times the black, like the black woman beating hemp in the prison scene of the Harlot's Progress , is an intricate detail in a complex narrative structure, involving an elaborate and cynical reference to Berkeley's Bermuda Scheme, Oglethorpe's Georgia Scheme and related ideas about the Christianisation of blacks and Indians in the colonies.

To continue reading this article you will need to purchase access to the online archive.

Buy Online Access  Buy Print & Archive Subscription

If you have already purchased access, or are a print & archive subscriber, please ensure you are logged in.

Please email digital@historytoday.com if you have any problems.