Time Smoking a Picture

William Hogarth

National Gallery of Art

This is a drawing of a winged figure beside an easel and a pot of varnish. The image features a skeletal figure with wings seated at an easel, engaged with a painting or canvas. To the side is a large urn labeled "VARNISH" and at the figure's feet rests a severed head and a torso. The painting on the easel depicts a cloud or smoke with amorphous shapes. Above the assembly, a ladder is seen. An inscription reads "As Statues moulder into Worth." The style of the drawing is illustrative and detailed, using a clear line technique reminiscent of etchings.