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William Hogarth and the Foundling Hospital

William Hogarth and the Foundling Hospital

Hanging in one of London's oldest art galleries is a painting that holds the story of the beginnings of modern British art scene.

The Foundling Hospital was not only the UK's first children's charity but also lays claim to be the UK's first public art gallery. Caro Howell, Director of the Foundling Museum, tells how artist William Hogarth's gift of a painting—and his subsequent collaboration with Thomas Coram, the founder of the Hospital—helped save children's lives and laid the seedbed for the contemporary art scene as we know it.

Time Period:

18th century