How did William Hogarth become an engraver?

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The Painter and His Pug, self-portrait by William Hogarth, oil on canvas, 1745; in the Tate Gallery, London. — William Hogarth *The Painter and His Pug*, self-portrait by William Hogarth, oil on canvas, 1745; in the Tate Gallery, London.

William Hogarth’s path to becoming an engraver began with his apprenticeship at approximately age 15 to a silversmith. During this training, he learned to engrave armorial designs onto gold and silver work.1

Hogarth later sought to move beyond the limitations of this trade and pursued further artistic development, including attending a private drawing school in St. Martin’s Lane. To support himself, he worked as a copper engraver, producing trade cards, tickets, and book illustrations. Although he eventually transitioned into painting, his background in engraving remained central to his career, as he is primarily remembered for his influential moral and satirical engravings.123