Hogarth's Adventure on the Thames

Val Bott, chair of the William Hogarth Trust, presents an illustrated talk on Hogarth’s ‘Peregrination’ – a 5-day adventure along the eastern reaches of the River Thames in 1732.

“The Hogarth family acquired their second home in the country in Chiswick in 1749. It had a small carriage and a stable, but it would still have been convenient for them and their household servants to use Thames wherries to and from their London home in Leicester Fields (Leicester Square today). Hogarth knew the river well. For example, he and 4 friends embarked upon a 5-day tour of Kent in May 1732, which they faithfully recorded for posterity as their "Peregrination" in text, maps and sketches.”

Val will use maps, prints, details of the watermen's water taxi services and images to describe the artist’s river adventure.