The piazza outside St Paul's church, Covent Garden, London, full of people selling their wares: a man is holding a placard advertising the products of Doctor Rock, a medicine vendor, and is holding up a bottle of the medicine. Engraving by W. Hogarth, 1738.

  • Hogarth, William, 1697-1764.
Reference:
20634i
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About this work

Description

A detail in 'The four times of the day: morning' engraved by William Hogarth in 1738 after his painting. Doctor Rock (Richard Rock 1690-1777) was a medicine vendor who frequented the London areas of Tower Hill, St. Paul's Cathedral and Covent Garden. He offered for sale his "anti-venereal, grand, specifick pill". He was represented in several caricatures: Hogarth referred to him in A harlot's progress pl. V, The march to Finchley, and in the present scene

Physical description

1 print : line engraving and etching

References note

C.J.S. Thompson, The quacks of old London, New York 1993, p. 312
Oliver Goldsmith, Citizen of the world, letter 68

Reference

Wellcome Collection 20634i

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