The image depicts a bustling street scene from a slightly elevated point of view. The horizon is high in the composition, showing the tops of buildings and the sky with a few clouds. The street is filled with people engaged in various activities. On the left, a painter is painting a shop sign on a ledge, while two men relax below him. In the center, workers are carrying a barrel. In the distance, a church spire rises above the rooftops. The style includes detailed line work, rendering the scene with depth. The color palette is monochrome, using shades of sepia or browns, typical of an engraving.
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The image depicts a bustling street scene from a slightly elevated point of view. The horizon is high in the composition, showing the tops of buildings and the sky with a few clouds. The street is filled with people engaged in various activities. On the left, a painter is painting a shop sign on a ledge, while two men relax below him. In the center, workers are carrying a barrel. In the distance, a church spire rises above the rooftops. The style includes detailed line work, rendering the scene with depth. The color palette is monochrome, using shades of sepia or browns, typical of an engraving.

National Gallery of Art · Print

Beer Street

William Hogarth

Date
1751
Medium
etching and engraving
Dimensions
sheet: 37.7 × 32 cm (14 13/16 × 12 5/8 in.) sheet: 62.7 × 45.3 cm (24 11/16 × 17 13/16 in.)
Classification
Print
Accession number
1944.5.86
Credit line
Rosenwald Collection
Time span
1751 to 1775
Department
CG-E

Portfolio and series

Series
Beer Street and Gin Lane [Paulson 185-186]

Subjects and terms

  • British
  • Seated figure
  • City
  • Building
  • Figures
  • Writing

NGA object ID 30432. Collection metadata is reproduced under CC0. This work is included because its NGA published-image record is marked open access; visitors should recheck the source record before substantial reuse.