Seven Painters who Changed the Course of Art History, a book by Brian Thom McQuade (2012), will serve as an introduction to a course about the British satirical artist William Hogarth (1697-1764). Known as the “father of British art as well as the political cartoon,” Hogarth pioneered what we now know as the Conversation Piece. He started Britain’s first public art gallery. The course will examine the profound effect that Hogarth had on successive British painters, from his own time to the modern artists who have copied his works. Hogarth also inspired the literary works of Henry Fielding and Charles Dickens, and was influential in America, where his popular prints were widely distributed. Each class session will examine one of Hogarth’s series of paintings – from A Harlot’s Progress (1731) to Marriage a la Mode (1745). The study of individual works from each series will expand on each theme. Prints of the artwork will be shared with the group along with some originals from the speaker’s personal collection. Proposed site visits will allow participants to view other originals at the MFA and Harvard Art Museums. (Class participants should be aware of the recurring sexual element in Hogarth’s work.)