William Hogarth

William Hogarth's election prints and the issues illustrated derive from the notorious Oxfordshire election of 1754, and are his last great set of engravings.

Hogarth engraved most of the first plate, which is considered his most complex and worked-over engraving. He gave up engraving himself after his difficulties with the first plate to concentrate on his painting; but he was evidently dissatisfied with the work of others, and so took a hand in the third and fourth plates.

The original set sold for £2-2-0. Only his 'Rakes Progress' series, and 'Before & After' sold for a higher price.

The present set have excellent detail and a depth and richness of impression which indicates they are early strikes from the original plates.