The Gate of Calais
| The Gate of Calais | |
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| Artist | William Hogarth |
| Year | 1748 |
| Medium | Oil-on-canvas |
| Dimensions | 80 cm × 96 cm (31 in × 37 5⁄8 in) |
| Location | Tate Britain, London |
The Gate of Calais or O, the Roast Beef of Old England is a 1748 painting by William Hogarth, reproduced as a print from an engraving the next year. Hogarth produced the painting directly after his return from France, where he had been arrested as a spy while sketching in Calais. The scene depicts a side of beef being transported from the harbour to an English tavern in the port, while a group of undernourished, ragged French soldiers and a fat friar look on hungrily. Hogarth painted himself in the left corner with a "soldier's hand upon my shoulder."
In July 1748, Hogarth took a trip to Paris, taking advantage of the armistice which preceded the signing of the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in October that year. He travelled with some artist friends, including Thomas Hudson, Joseph and Alexander Van Aken, Francis Hayman, and Henry Cheere. George Vertue reports that the group split up on the return journey, with Hogarth and Hayman making their way to Calais to catch the boat to England and the others continuing their tour to Flanders and the Netherlands.
While waiting in Calais, Hogarth decided to sketch the gate of the port and drawbridge which were still adorned with the English arms (Calais had been an English enclave until 1558 and still retained many English architectural features). His sketching of the fortifications aroused suspicion, and he was arrested and taken before the Governor. Most accounts relate that Hogarth showed his other sketches to his captors; and when it became clear that he was merely an artist, he was discharged into the parole of his landlord to await the changing of the wind and the boat to England.Horace Walpole elaborates the account, reporting that Hogarth was forced to demonstrate his abilities by producing sketches and caricatures as demanded by the French, "particularly a scene of the shore, with an immense piece of beef landing for the Lion d'Argent, the English inn at Calais, and several hungry friars following it." At any rate, Hogarth was discharged and returned to England by the next boat.
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