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1732

The Harlot's Death

William Hogarth

English, 1697 - 1764

Staged as a morality play in six scenes, A Harlot's Progress traces the downfall of lovely, young Mary (or Moll) Hackabout from her first arrival in London from the country, where she quickly becomes the mistress of a rich merchant, through her decline into prostitution, and her death (shown here) from venereal disease. In this scene, a pair of quack physicians is shown quarreling over the merits of their prescriptions while their patient expires.

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