Why it matters
Four prints follow Tom Nero from torturing a dog as a child to murder, until his body is dissected by surgeons after his execution. Hogarth, who loved animals, made the series as a warning against the everyday cruelty he saw on London's streets.
Did you know?
- They were published in 1751.
- They were issued on cheap paper, aimed at the lower classes.
- Hogarth pictured himself with his pug in a self-portrait.
Based on the Wikipedia article The Four Stages of Cruelty (CC BY-SA 4.0).
