Pamono Samuel Butler Hogarth, Hudibras Triomphante, 1700s, Oil on Canvas> Old Masters

Hudibras Triomphante (from a poem by Samuel Butler)

Circa 1740, England

Oil on canvas
62 x 50 cm. – Framed 83 x 71 cm.

The painting features a rare iconographic reference to the English satirical poem “Hudibras,” composed by Samuel Butler between 1660 and 1680, and a satire on Cromwell’s supporters and the Presbyterian Church.

The poem, very popular in its time, recounts the exploits of Hudibras, a colonel in Cromwell’s army, and his squire Ralpho, both involved in various comical misadventures in which their stupid, greedy, and dishonest characters emerge.

The inspiration from Don Quixote is clear, but unlike Miguel de Cervantes’s work, Butler includes many more references to current figures and events.

Illustrated versions of the poem also became popular, such as the one published in 1726 in London with illustrations by William Hogarth, a painter renowned for his narrative paintings and prints that skillfully satirized the social and moral issues of his time.

Hogarth, who excelled at creating sequential narrative series, skillfully organizing figures and symbolic elements to convey clear stories, created a series of twelve engravings illustrating the adventures of Hudibras.

Our painting is based on one of these engravings published in 1726, entitled “Hudibras Triomphante”: the protagonist, demonstrating his determination, has arrested the violinist and is leading him to prison with his hands tied behind his back, while Ralpho hangs his violin from a block. Thus displayed, the censored violin will be seen as a lasting reminder of the musician’s misdeeds.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The painting is sold with a beautiful frame and comes with a certificate of authenticity and an iconographic .