William Hogarth was born in London on 10th November 1697 and was the son of a poor schoolteacher. When he was 17 he was apprenticed to a silver engraver and when he was 23 he set up his own business producing book illustrations. Around this time he enrolled in art schools in St Martin's Lane and learned how to paint in oils. His first major success in painting was The Beggar's Opera 1729 based on the satirical play by John Gay. In 1733 Hogarth started a series if paintings entitled the The Rake's Progress which was his method of exposing corruption and foolishness of English Polite society.

By the late 1750s and early 1760s Hogarth had become rather disillusioned with art and his output declined. He used his works to attack the government and merchants and became embroiled in a feud with John Wilkes, the Political reformer.

Hogarth's satirical observations on social manors, customs and excesses lead him to become the dominant character in the art field during the first half of the 18th century. He is often regarded as the person who established a distinctive English school of painting.

At some time in his life William Hogarth and his new wife lived in lodgings in the South Lambeth area.