Hogarth’s House

William Hogarth was a famous and inventive painter and printmaker. He is famous for his serial prints which depict moral tales of London life in the 18th century.  He also helped develop copyright laws in England in order to stop people from reproducing his work without paying him.  He also helped to found the Foundling Hospital (now the Foundling Museum!). He was a super busy guy basically.

The house is on a nice lot that used to be home to orchards.  The garden was even nice in the middle of winter.  Out in West London (Hounslow to be exact) this home would have been practically in the countryside. Like many places in London is has been slowly absorbed.

Hogarth himself! This is a reproduction of portrait of him in the National Portrait Gallery collection.  His faithful dog Trump (yes that was the dogs real name!) is also depicted along with the tools of his trade. Due to conservation reasons the upper floor was closed which meant only three rooms were open to the public.

The combination of a magnifying glass and flashlight on a string is a clever combination. Together they help visitors take a closer look at objects in cases that ought not be under strong lighting. And it’s super fun to use!

The gift shop is located in the former kitchen. I particularly liked the life-sized Hogarth characters. The titular ‘harlot’ of Hogarth’s famous Harlot’s progress series.  Here she is the innocent country girl overwhelmed by London.

Rating: 4/5

Pros: Good collection, nice location, good building, friendly staff, interesting curation, excellent special exhibition, nice shop

Cons: No cafe, no upper floor, not the best for kids