Paul Before Felix, 1752-9

William Hogarth (1697 - 1764)

RA Collection: Art

Engraving after Hogarth's painting Paul before Felix (also called 'Paul at Ephesus'), commissioned by Lincoln's Inn in 1747 and painted by Hogarth between 1748 and 1751. The subject proposed by Hogarth was the biblical account of the Apostle Paul dealing with the law in its many aspects. Hogarth made his own print of the painting in 1752, reversing the image. This engraving by Luke Sullivan is not reversed, and eliminates one of the central figures (Drusilla). This is because Hogarth's painting of this figure was criticized in some quarters, although she remained in the painting.

This impression comes from the third state of this print. In the previous state (17/3893) Sullivan is named as the engraver in the corner of the print, but in this state Sullivan's name and the (1752) date of publication have been replaced by a long quotation from Joseph Warton's Essay on the Genius and Writings of Pope (1756). This state was published in 1759.