DISCOVERART

William Hogarth

A Midnight Modern Conversation

March 1732/33
Etching and engraving selectively printed in black and red on ivory laid paper
32.9 × 45.5 cm (13 × 17.9 in)

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In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

One of Hogarth’s most sought-after and most frequently copied compositions, A Midnight Modern Conversation features a raucous, smoke-filled scene in which drunken participants stumble, fall asleep, and lose their wigs. This impression of the print incorporates painterly nuances in an application of both red and black ink, a color choice resulting in a mock history painting.

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