HOGARTH -Rake’s Progress No.3 Drunken Debauchery Brothel Scene 1812 Copper Engraving

This original 1812 copperplate engraving by William Hogarth, published by Robert Scholey in London, is titled Rake’s Progress No. 3. In this infamous scene from Hogarth’s moral series, Tom Rakewell spirals further into vice as he indulges in an extravagant night of debauchery at a brothel. Surrounded by bawdy women, musicians, and drink, Tom sits drunkenly at a table while chaos erupts around him—drunken antics, lascivious gestures, and symbolic images of moral decay fill every inch of the richly decorated room.

Engraved by T. Clerk after Hogarth’s provocative original, the composition overflows with detail: a prostitute brandishes a sword, others leer or argue, while symbolic paintings and objects hint at corruption and disease. The central figure of Tom grows more detached, a hollow man amid frenzy and folly. Measuring approximately 5 x 9 inches and blank on the reverse, this genuine early 19th-century print stands as one of Hogarth’s most memorable critiques of excess and downfall, executed with sharp wit and masterful visual storytelling.