
Read the visual description
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
- 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.