William Hogarth Prints – Paul before Felix

William Hogarth Prints – Paul before Felix. The selection of the subject of St Paul’s plea before Felix was based primarily on its appropriateness to the Inns of Court

The selection of the subject of St Paul’s plea before Felix was based primarily on its appropriateness to the Inns of Court. Secondarily on the opportunity it provided to a work directly comparable to Raphael’s St Paul Cartoons.

An extension beyond the last episode of Raphael’s series the story begins when Paul is mobbed by the Jews for ignoring their laws and saved by the Roman soldiers.

Who, learning that his is a Roman citizen, sent him to Caesarea to be judged by the governor Felix.

Hogarth’s original painting for this was executed in 1748 for Lincoln’s Inn, where it still hangs.

His assistant Luke Sullivan was first called upon to make an engraving after it, based on a drawing by Hogarth (in reverse to the painting)

Now in a private Scottish collection (Whitfield 1971, fig.54).

Hogarth introduced in it several changes to the composition, and then set the resulting print aside as unsatisfactory.

It was later issued with the same publication date as Hogarth’s own engraving here.

This latter is much closer to the painting as it now appears after recent restoration.

In the nineteenth century Sullivan’s engraving had been used as the basis for some extensive overpainting of the work.

William Hogarth

William Hogarth, (born November 10, 1697, London, England—died October 26, 1764, London).  The first great English-born artist to attract admiration abroad, best known for his MORAL and satirical engravings and paintings—e.g., A Rake’s Progress (eight scenes,1733).

His attempts to build a reputation as a history painter and portraitist, however, met with financial disappointment. His aesthetic theories had more influence in Romantic literature than in painting.

See full William Hogarth catalogue here