Artwork preview

The Enraged Musician

William Hogarth

Cleveland Museum of Art

The image depicts a chaotic scene of a musician playing the violin in a window, surrounded by people making noise. The musician, dressed in old-fashioned clothing with a powdered wig, plays the violin on the second floor of a brick building with a fence in front. To the left, a woman holds a rolled-up document and a basket, while a girl sits on a crate. On the right, a man operates a hurdy-gurdy, accompanied by a child on a drum and a woman holding a large pot on her head. Behind them, several people are making noise with various objects, including a man with a pipe, a child with a shovel, and another child with a drum. A streetlamp with a bird perches on it stands to the left. The background features buildings, a church steeple, and a cloudy sky. The title "THE ENRAGED MUSICIAN" is written at the bottom. The overall scene appears to be a satirical representation of noise pollution in an urban setting.

Artwork details

Dimensions:
900 × 800 px
Museum record:
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Palette