The Times, Plate I

Date1795-1822

Engraver William Hogarth 1697 - 1764

Engraver James Heath 1757 - 1834

OriginEngland, London

MediumLine engraving and etching on wove paper

DimensionsOther (Platemark): 9 3/4 × 12 3/16in. (24.8 × 31cm)

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1972-409,132

DescriptionLower margin reads, "The Times/ Plate I/ Designed & Engraved by W Hogarth/ Published as the Act Directs/ Sep.r 7 1762."Label TextIn this print, painter and engraver William Hogarth sought to defend the current Prime Minister, John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute, against his critics. Hogarth depicted Lord Bute valiantly saving the world from a fire, crediting Bute with ending the Seven Years War and protecting Great Britain. In this third stage of the print, Hogarth replaced a figure of Henry VIII with William Pitt, a member of Parliament and future Prime Minister who was particularly critical of Lord Bute’s handling of the Seven Years War. The “Pitties” or the pro-Pitt faction in Parliament were war hawks, who viewed the war as profitable for business interests and wanted Great Britain to become an empire. Lord Bute sought to end the war, citing high costs and diminishing benefits. While many engravers created anti-Bute propaganda during his ministry, Hogarth defended the deeply unpopular Prime Minister.

The Times, Plate I also maligned member of Parliament and journalist John Wilkes and his periodical, the “North Briton.” Hogarth illustrated a man peddling the “North Briton” and attempting to mow down a Scottish Highlander, who carries buckets of water to help extinguish the flames. The scene criticized Wilkes’ anti-Scottish prejudice against the Scottish Lord Bute. Hogarth’s criticism of the “North Briton” and Wilkes’ political ally, Pitt, led to a feud between the engraver and the politician. Previously friends, Wilkes scathingly critiqued The Times, Plate I, arguing that Hogarth should continue making morality prints instead of satires about factional politics. Hogarth responded with a caricature portrait print of Wilkes (see 2000-116).Provenance1972 [sold, Sotheby’s Belgravia, “18th/19th Century Sporting Prints, Decorative Subjects and Views,” London, England, October 31, 1972, Lot 168]; 1972-present, purchased by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation (Williamsburg, VA).