William HogarthEnglish, 1697–1764Cruelty in Perfection
Can I see it?
Not on view at present
Where is “Cruelty in Perfection” now? Collection: Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago. Not on view at present. Checked September 29, 2026.
Chicago, United States
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the work
Hogarth frequently used an episodic format to depict an unsavory character’s descent into debauchery, and the four-print series Four Stages of Cruelty features the artist’s most sadistic villain, Tom Nero. After impregnating a lady’s maid and convincing her to steal from her mistress and run away with him, he murders her. In John Bell’s large-scale woodcut after Hogarth, Nero is apprehended as the dead body of his lover is discovered.
Art Institute of ChicagoCC BY 4.0
Details
- Accession number
- 2015.15
In the catalog
Sources
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Image: Art Institute of Chicago — CC0
In the life of William Hogarth
The whole life1712–1764 · Workplace
London
1748
A trip to France and “The Gate of Calais”
Back from a visit to France — which, Horace Walpole wrote, was risky after the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle — Hogarth at once painted “The Gate of Calais”: the French are shown as cringing, emaciated and superstitious, while an enormous sirloin of beef is carried to the English inn as a symbol of British prosperity. By his own account he painted himself in the left corner sketching the gate, with a soldier’s hand on his shoulder.
1749
A country house in Chiswick
In 1749 Hogarth bought a country retreat in Chiswick — now Hogarth’s House, a museum — and spent time there for the rest of his life; his main home remained the house in Leicester Fields (now Leicester Square).
