In the development of English aesthetics, William Hogarth's 'The Analysis of Beauty' takes a position of high significance. In this now classic edition, Ronald Paulson includes the complete text of the original work; an introduction that places the 'Analysis' in the tradition of aesthetic treatises and Hogarth's own 'moral' works; extensive annotation of the text and accompanying illustrations; and illuminating manuscript passages that Hogarth omitted from the final printed version. Hogarth's stature in his own time suggests the importance of his attempt to systematise and theorise his...

Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

English artist William Hogarth (1697-1764) is most famous for his satirical caricatures and moral paintings, the forerunners of cartoons. In this instructive volume, the august painter and engraver discusses and illustrates the use of serpentine lines in the expression of grace and beauty. Hogarth defines six qualities -- fitness, variety, regularity, simplicity, intricacy, and quantity -- and dramatizes their effective combination in images that employ S-shaped lines.
Originally published in 1753 with the subtitle, -Written with a View of Fixing the Fluctuating Ideas of Taste, - Hogarth's...