The heir 1735

Editor: This is "The Heir," painted in 1735 by William Hogarth, rendered in oil paint. It feels...chaotic, doesn't it? There's so much happening in this room. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Beyond the surface depiction of a young man’s inheritance, consider the production of value being portrayed. Hogarth’s social commentary is embedded in the material world. What is being inherited here isn't just property but a lifestyle predicated on consumption and arguably idleness. Note the overflowing papers, the disarray—what labor produced them? Where did they originate? Editor: So you're saying it’s not just a simple story, but also a statement about work? Curator: Precisely. Hogarth was deeply interested in the means of production. He highlights how things are made and who makes them. Think about the very oil paint itself—the labor involved in creating that pigment, the canvases woven, the musical scores penned. The young man in the painting benefits from unseen and disregarded work of many hands, and seems poised to waste this inheritance. Editor: I never thought about it that way. It’s not just about the objects but where they come from. Curator: Look closely at how different materials contribute to the overall narrative. For instance, are the garments mere costume, or do they represent social class and its impact on economic life in England at that time? What do those textiles represent in terms of trade and production? Editor: So it's less about the "high art" and more about the materials themselves and their connection to society? Curator: Absolutely. It blurs the lines between high art and craft. He draws our attention to the economic forces shaping the social fabric, and indeed even the making of art itself. Editor: That’s given me a whole new perspective on the piece! I can see so many other details that speak to production. Thanks for opening my eyes.