Most renowned for The Rake’s Progress, William Hogarth was a prolific artist whose paintings and etchings depict the early eighteenth century in all its glory. With a fiercely satirical eye he portrayed London as the newly cosmopolitan, money-rich city that it was becoming, but he also held a mirror up to the inequalities that existed. Showing the grindingly poor living cheek-by-jowl with the prosperous City folk, Hogarth’s works provided an unflinching commentary on the times, but also have an unsettling resonance with today’s capital (the recent Eastern European immigration, and the large bonuses earned by city brokers spring to mind). His portraits of his servants are particularly sensitive and respectful, earning him a reputation for having the common touch. There is an excellent catalogue of his work on this genealogy site.

Much as Dickens and Shakespeare give their names to eras, so the mention of Hogarthian England gives rise to images of profligacy and stupidity associated with the rich whose money came easily to them. Along with The Rake’s Progress – a tale of woeful frittering of a young man’s fortune that ultimately sees him end his days in the infamous Bedlam – the series Marriage à-la-mode shows the unfortunate results of an ill-advised marriage, made purely for money (such as any of today’s ‘celebrity’ couplings).

The Sky Arts exploration of the artist’s life (showing at various times this week), illustrates how the art of Hogarth provides us with a window into life in London at that time. The programme draws comparisons with the parts of today’s city that survives from Hogarth’s time, and ponders whether things may have come full circle.