The South Sea Scheme, William Hogarth, 1721

Satire on the financial scandal of the south sea bubble; a composite scene in the city of london identified by the guildhall, st paul's cathedral and the monument (its inscription changed to record the destruction of the city by the south sea); a crowd is gathered around a merry-go-round (on which ride a prostitute, a clergyman, a shoe-black, an old crone and a scottish nobleman); to left, the devil hacks the limbs of fortune, while religious leaders (both anglican and jewish) play at pitch and hustle; to right, emblematic figures of honour and honesty are beaten by self-interest and villainy, and trade sleeps. C. 1721 etching and engraving. Date: 1721. Dimensions: Height: 261 mm; Width: 324 mm. Medium: paper. Collection: British Museum. The South Sea Scheme (BM S,2.4)