Hogarth's House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hogarth's House |
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Hogarth's House. The tree in front is a mulberry which was present in Hogarth's time, and has some local fame
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| Location | Chiswick |
| OS grid reference | TQ 21250 77891 |
| Area | London Borough of Hounslow |
| Built | 1713 - 1717 |
| Owner | London Borough of Hounslow |
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Listed Building – Grade I
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| Official name: Hogarths House, Wall and Gate of Hogarths House | |
| Designated | 11 June 1951 |
| Reference no. | 1358340 |
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Hogarth's House was the country home of William Hogarth, a famous English artist from the 1700s. It is located in Chiswick, which is now part of London. Back in the 18th century, Chiswick was a village separate from the big city.
Today, Hogarth's House belongs to the London Borough of Hounslow. It is a historic house museum that you can visit for free. The house is also a special Grade I listed building, meaning it's very important historically.
Building Hogarth's Home
The house was built between 1713 and 1717. It was first owned by Rev George Andreas Ruperti, a pastor who used it as his country retreat. He helped many refugees from Europe who came to London.
William Hogarth and his family bought the house from Ruperti's son in 1749. They made the house bigger in 1750. Hogarth used it as his quiet escape from 1749 until he passed away in 1764. He even had a "painting room" in a building at the bottom of his garden.
Hogarth lived there with his wife, his mother-in-law, his wife's cousin Mary Lewis, and his sister. Mary Lewis helped him with his art business. William Hogarth is buried nearby at St Nicholas Church, Chiswick. His good friend, the actor David Garrick, wrote a tribute for his tomb. Hogarth's family stayed in the house until 1808.
Later, from 1814 to 1833, the house was home to Rev Henry Francis Cary. He was a poet and a skilled translator of Dante's famous poem, Divine Comedy.
Saving and Opening the Museum
In 1890, a man named Alfred Dawson helped save the house. It was in danger of being torn down for new buildings. A group of artists and writers tried to buy it, but they couldn't raise enough money.
Luckily, Lieutenant-Colonel Robert William Shipway bought the house in 1901. He worked with an architect and Hogarth's biographer to restore it. Shipway even collected some of Hogarth's artworks and had furniture made to look like pieces in Hogarth's paintings. He opened the house to visitors in 1904.
Shipway later gave the house to the local council. In 1940, during World War II, the house was damaged by a bomb nearby. It was fixed and opened again in 1951. The house was also updated in 1997 for Hogarth's 300th birthday.
In 2014, a special art show was held at the museum. It celebrated 250 years since Hogarth's death. Many famous artists and celebrities, like Quentin Blake and Jacqueline Wilson, created art for the exhibition.
Restoring After a Fire
The house closed for repairs in 2008. In 2009, there was a fire inside the empty house. No artworks were lost, but some parts of the house were damaged.
Experts carefully restored the entire building. They studied the house's history and even analyzed old paint to make sure the new colors were correct. Original features, like window shutters and fireplaces, were repaired.
Many groups helped fund the repairs, including the Heritage Lottery Fund. The museum officially reopened on November 8, 2011. Today, two floors are open to visitors. The top floor has a study room for people who want to research Hogarth.
The museum shows the house as a home and celebrates Hogarth's life and art. You can see prints of his famous works, like A Rake's Progress and Marriage à-la-mode.
The house also has a lovely walled garden with a mulberry tree. This tree is probably the last one from the original fruit orchard that was there in the 1670s. It was damaged during the war but was saved by tree experts from Kew Gardens.
See also
- List of single-artist museums
