William Hogarth, The Company Of Undertakers, 1736

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The Atlanta Collection - Session 1

By Ahlers & Ogletree

Apr 30, 2016 - May 1, 2016

Set Reminder 2016-04-30 11:00:00 2016-05-01 11:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : The Atlanta Collection - Session 1 https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/ahlers-ogletree/the-atlanta-collection---session-1-1411
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• Lot Description
  William Hogarth (English, 1697-1764), "The Company Of Undertakers"-1736, second and final state ( II / II ), etching and engraving on wove paper, published by the artist "Published by W. Hogarth March the 3rd 1736". Satirical caricature of the seedy underbelly of the medical profession (to borrow Hogarth's term "Quackery"); figural print depicting a mock heraldic shield, or coat of arms or crest, divided into two sections by a horizontal "nebulous" dividing line, the top "half" of the shield with the likenesses of three infamous medical professionals including Mrs. Mapp at center, a noted bone-setter of the period, with John Taylor on her left, a notorious quack oculist, or "Opthalmiator", and with Dr. Joshua Ward on her right (these three "quack doctors" were often portrayed together in prints of this period as representative of this class of medical pariahs), the bottom "half" of the shield with twelve anonymous wigged quack doctors, each with bulbous canes, nine of whom are sniffing the heads of their canes, which, in the eighteenth century, contained disinfectant, nine of whom are absorbed by the contents of an apparent urinal; crest with Latin banner inscription at lower center "ET PLURIMA MORTIS IMAGO" (translated: "And many are the faces of death"); inscription at lower center margin "The Company of Undertakers", and, "Beareth Sable, an Urinal proper, between 12 Quack-Heads of the second & 12 Cane Heads Or, Consultant. On a Chief Nebuloe, Ermine One Compleat Doctor issuant, checkie sustaining in his Right Hand a Baton of the second. On his Dexter and sinister sides two Demi-Doctors, issuant of the second, & two Cane-Heads issuant of the third; The first having One Eye conchant, towards the Dexter Side of the Esocheon; the Second Faced per pale proper & Gules, Guardent. With this Motto - Et Plurima Mortis Imago.", "Price Six Pence", with additional inscription to lower center margin. Matted approximately 22.25" x 17". Plate size approximately 10.25 x 7.125". Literature: Nigel Llewellyn, The Art of Death, London, Victoria and Albert Mus., 1991, pp. 78-79; illus.; Julian Litten, p. 237; Bernard Puckle, Funeral Customs, p. 128; Frederick George Stephens, Catalogue of Prints and Drawings in the British Museum Div. I Political and Personal Satires, 1877, pp. 208-210; Austin Dobson, William Hogarth, 1891, p. 259. Note: In the first state of this print, the inscribed description of the work includes a spelling error (One Compleat Docter). In this, the second state, that error has been corrected. Provenance: O'Reilly's Plaza Art Galleries, Inc. (New York) whereby sold as a component of a group lot 23, in their May 9th, 1968 auction, whereby acquired by the Estate of Dr. Woody Cobbs and Mrs. Honor Cobbs, Atlanta, Georgia. Note: Original copy of auction catalog from O'Reilly's Plaza Art Galleries, Inc. available upon request.

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