Prints by William Hogarth

AUGUST 20 - OCTOBER 22, 2016
To celebrate our nation's upcoming presidential election, the Meadows hosts an exhibition of politically-themed artworks from our permanent collection by William Hogarth (1697-1764), the father of modern political cartooning. Hogarth created visual satires of crooked politicians, rigged elections, and an equally corrupt electorate in 18th-century England, elements especially prevalent in his 1755 series “Humours of an Election” featured in this exhibition.

"He depicts a campaign rife with bribery, drunkenness, rigged voting, and an ignorant, easily influenced populace.”
-Dr. Lisa Nicoletti, Centenary Art History & Visual Studies professor and Meadows Head of Collections & Research

"Political ads are complex beasts – a mixture of images, sound, music, messages, and people all intertwined into 30 seconds that candidates hope will reflect their strengths and make an impact. At a minimum, political ads are a glimpse into the soul of a campaign – if there is one.”
-Dr. Mark Leeper, Centenary Political Science professor