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William Hogarth

The Sleeping Congregation

October 1736
Etching and engraving in black on ivory wove paper
25 × 19.5 cm (9.8 × 7.7 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

William Hogarth’s scathing indictments of the extremes of the churchgoing community take no prisoners, whether lambasting credulous Catholics or disinterested Methodists. Only the preacher and his attendant clerk here have managed to stay awake this long into the sermon. Most of the audience is snoring, tumbling onto each other in deep slumber. The young lady to the right, with her unguarded décolletage, holds a pamphlet about marriage, which may inspire her dreams. In contrast, the sidelong glance she receives from the clerk suggests his intentions are anything but honorable.

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