Provenance
Edward Cheney.[1] (Possibly--although, if so, inaccurately described as a "Garden Scene with many figures, in _colours_"--sale, Sotheby's, 29 April 1885 et seq., 3rd day, no. 332); bought by (P. & D. Colnaghi & Co., London). Francis Capel Cure [1854-1933], Badger Hall, Essex, by 1905; by descent to his nephew, Nigel Capel Cure [b.1908], Blake Hall, Ongar, Essex, by 1965.[2] (John Baskett, Ltd., London); purchased June 1975 by Paul Mellon, Upperville, Virginia; gift 1983 to NGA.
[1] According to Wilmarth Sheldon Lewis and Philip Hofer, _"The Beggar's Opera" by Hogarth and Blake_, (Cambridge, Massachusetts, New Haven, and London, 1965), under no. 5. According to The Provenance Index, J. Paul Getty Trust, Santa Monica, California, Edward Cheney [1803-1884] is listed as the inheritor of the Badger Hall estate from his brother, R. Henry Cheney [d. 1866], and as the uncle of Col. Alfred Capel Cure. Alfred inherited Badger Hall from Cheney; the house then passed by descent to Alfred's nephew, Francis Capel Cure. The Getty lists its sources as "P[rovenance] I[ndex]: Collector's File" and _Burke's Landed Gentry_ [edited by Sir Bernard Burke; the (London) 1898 ed. includes Captain Edward Cheney et al.].
[2] Lewis and Hofer 1965 (as per n. 1 above) list the six different versions of the composition, of which one then belonged to Nigel Capel Cure.
Accession Number
1983.1.42
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
overall: 51.1 x 61.2 cm (20 1/8 x 24 1/8 in.) | framed: 79.2 x 88.6 x 6.9 cm (31 3/16 x 34 7/8 x 2 11/16 in.)
Classification
Painting
Credit Line
Paul Mellon Collection
Tags
Painting Baroque (1600–1750) Oil Painting Canvas British
Background & Context
Background Story
William Hogarth (1697-1764) was an English painter and printmaker known for his moralizing narrative series that satirize the vices and follies of 18th-century English society. A Scene from The Beggar's Opera from 1728-29 depicts a scene from John Gay's satirical ballad opera that was the theatrical sensation of 1728, in which the criminal underworld of London is portrayed in the operatic manner previously reserved for mythological and heroic subjects. The 1728-29 date places this at the moment when The Beggar's Opera was the most talked-about theatrical event in London, and Hogarth's painting captures the satirical spirit of Gay's opera with the social observation that distinguishes his best work.
Cultural Impact
A Scene from The Beggar's Opera is important in the history of English painting because it demonstrates the satirical spirit that would define Hogarth's entire career. The painting captures the moment when Gay's satirical opera was the most talked-about theatrical event in London, and Hogarth's treatment of the subject shows the social observation and satirical spirit that would make his moralizing narrative series the most accomplished satires in English painting.
Why It Matters
A Scene from The Beggar's Opera is Hogarth's satirical spirit defining his career: the theatrical sensation of 1728 rendered with the social observation and satirical wit that would make his moralizing narrative series the most accomplished satires in English painting. The 1728-29 painting captures the moment when Gay's opera was London's most talked-about event.
