The Sleeping Congregation

English caricaturists like William Hogarth were an important precedent for Honoré Daumier a century later in Paris. Here, Hogarth makes a visual joke at the expense of a long-winded vicar, inviting the viewer’s sympathy with the parishioners. The notable care Hogarth takes to individuate the figures—over and above their shared state of oblivion—also characterizes his many images set in theaters, where the unruly activities of the audience often threaten to eclipse the stage drama.