Print, admission-ticket, William Hogarth, circa 1720

Benefit ticket for spiller: the comedian standing with a burning taper under a set of scales, on a pile of tickets for his benefit performance labelled 'box', 'pit' and 'gall[ery]', handing them to people on the left who put their payment on that side of the balance, while a bailiff on the right taps him on the shoulder, holding out a 'writ' and creditors add their bills for 'tripe', 'gin', tobacco', 'ale', 'beer' tto the balance, the largest being 'the taylor's bill'; with a scroll looped over the top of the scales labelled 'for the benefit of spiller', the ends reaching a window of a tavern on the left and the window of a debtor's prison on the right. ?march 1720 etching. Date: circa 1720. Dimensions: Height: 93 mm; Width: 121 mm. Medium: paper. Depicted People: James Spiller. Collection: British Museum. Print, admission-ticket (BM 1860,0728.57)