Industry and Idleness: The Industrious Prentice Performing the Duty of a Christian

William Hogarth

Cleveland Museum of Art

The image depicts a black and white illustration of a scene inside a church. A man stands at a lectern near the front, reading to two boys. He wears a long coat. The boys wear 18th-century clothing and one holds a book. To the left, an elderly woman sits in a pew reading a book. A man sits in front of her with his back to the viewer. On the right, near the back, a woman holds a fan. The church has a large dome ceiling, columns, and arches. A balcony runs along the back and sides. People are visible on the balcony and in the pews. The text at the top reads, "The Industrious Prentice performing the Duty of a Christian." A brick wall border at the bottom features a plaque with a Bible verse: "Psalm cxix Ver. 97: O how I love thy law it is my meditation all the day." The image is framed with ornate designs.