The shock of the new: William Hogarth (1697-1764) and the influence of Isaac Newton (1642-1727) and his followers
Cowley focuses on painter William Hogarth (1697-1764), and discusses the influence of Isaac Newton (1642-1727) and his followers. In 1732, Hogarth painted and then published a series of six scenes, A Harlot's Progress. The story is of a young female immigrant who comes to London England from th...
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Published in | The British art journal Vol. 22; no. 3; p. 8 |
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Main Author | |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
London
Art Journals Ltd
01.12.2021
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Subjects | |
Online Access | Get more information |
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Summary: | Cowley focuses on painter William Hogarth (1697-1764), and discusses the influence of Isaac Newton (1642-1727) and his followers. In 1732, Hogarth painted and then published a series of six scenes, A Harlot's Progress. The story is of a young female immigrant who comes to London England from the provinces. Hogarth was drawing attention to the nature and effects of what many of his subscribers would have called the new-fangled force of universal gravity. Before Isaac Newton's followers spread his ideas widely, things simply fell over, collapsed or tumbled. But Newton declared with mathematical certainty that all falling things were pulled towards the center of the earth by a mysterious force, to be known as gravity. Cowley concludes that some pictures are clearly influenced by Newtonianism, as in the second picture of A Harlot's Progress, the Conduitt family-piece, the later plates of A Rake's Progress, the frontispiece to Clubbe's Physiognomy, Frontis-piss, and some portraits. |
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ISSN: | 1467-2006 |