William Hogarth The Humours of an Election, The Entertainment
Hogarth engraving from The Works of William Hogarth by Rev Trusler published circa 1840. The Humours of an Election is a series of four engravings by William Hogarth that illustrate the election of a member of parliament in Oxfordshire in 1754. Prior to the 1832 reform act each constituency elected two MPs, and there was a property qualification for voters, so only a minority of the male population was enfranchised. There was no secret ballot, so bribery and intimidation were rife. An Election Entertainment depicts a tavern dinner organised by the Whig candidates, while the Tories protest outside. The Tories are carrying an anti-Semitic caricature of a Jew, a reference to recent legislation passed by the Whig government which allowed greater freedom to Jews. A banner containing the words "Give us our Eleven days", a protest against the adoption of the Gregorian calendar, which was carried by the Tories, is on the tavern floor. In the tavern the two Whig candidates are ingratiating themselves with supporters. One candidate is kissing an ugly pregnant woman; the other is listening to a drunken bore. At the other end of the table the Mayor is collapsing from over indulgence in oysters, while the Election Agent is knocked out by a brick thrown through the window by the Tory mob. Other supporters throw furniture at the Tories. The composition of the scene parodies traditional images of the Last Supper and other Biblical feasts.
Size: 3668px × 2730px
Photo credit: © Historical Images Archive / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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