Plates four, five, and six from A Harlot's Progress

Despite the resounding success of A Harlot’s Progress, William Hogarth waited over ten years to release a second edition. Before the implementation of the 1735 Engraver’s Act, he had little recourse to combat plagiarism. This rare unmounted fan leaf is printed with colorful, reduced-scale etchings of the harlot’s entry into the workhouse, final moments, and funeral. A complete fan would have boasted the three earlier scenes on the other side; indeed, the folds in the paper suggest the impression may once have been fitted for use. Hogarth is said to have given such moralizing items to his servants.