The Reward of Cruelty

William Hogarth - engraver

William Hogarth - engraver - The Reward of Cruelty
The fourth print from the cycle of The Four Stages of Cruelty culminates in a public autopsy, that is, a peculiar „punishment“ inflicted on the body. One year after the publication of the cycle a law came into force which made legal the autopsy of the body of any convicted criminal in order to act as deterrent.
date:
measurements: height 583 mm
width 440 mm
material: paper
technique: etching
inscription:
inventory number: R 970
gallery collection: Collection of Prints and Drawings