Credulity, Superstition and Fanaticism
Ernst Ludwig Riepenhausen, 1850. Engraving, with some stipple. Image measures 7.75 x 5.75 inches. Sheet measures 14.75 x 10.5 inches. This print which was originally published in 1736 illustrates Hogarth's ability to find humor even in the most sacred and solemn of places. Hogarth presents The Sleeping Congregation as an Anglican church filled with parishioners who are so bored by the service that most have drifted off to sleep. This is in contrast to the fanatical enthusiasm of the Methodist..... More