Sequential Drawing 3. -- OUAN404

William Hogarth's A Rakes Progress (1732-33) is an example of sequential imagery from a time when reproduction of visual work was just becoming widespread. It tells the story of Tom Rakewell, who inherits his fathers wealth and immediately goes out drinking, gambling and visiting brothels. It is a morality tale meant to show how immoral living leads to rack and ruin. Over 8 images Rakewell is shown living the high life, until he eventually finds himself broke and insane in a debtors prison, and each image contains visual cues to explain in more depth what is happening in the scene. For example, we can see that Rakewell's dead father was a miser as a portrait on the wall in the first image shows him counting money. In the 7th scene, when Rakewell is in a lunatic asylum we can see a pair of mechanical wings, an alchemy set, and a telescope pointing at the moon - all of which embellish the idea that he has lost the plot.

It can be considered a precursor to the comic book, as over the next century magazines and journals like Punch would continue to publish satirical illustrated stories, although the focus moved more to humour than morality.

Rakewell in the Lunatic Asylum