Diligence and Dissipation: or the Progress of a Modest Girl and a Wanton, Exemplified in Ten Different Stages of Their Lives
Diligence and Dissipation: or the Progress of a Modest Girl and a Wanton, Exemplified in Ten Different Stages of Their Lives
James Northcote
London : Printed by H.L. Galabin, 1796
Rebound in modern blue boards. New end sheets. Light dampstaining throughout. Lacking all 10 plates. Text only. Intended by Northcote to be a parable for girls to learn the dangers of a wanton lifestyle; Diligence and Dissipation showed "the history of a modest girl and a wanton, which were painted in direct rivalry with the works of Hogarth, and with a high moral intention; the pictures were engraved, and in that form had a large sale. The series, however, proved a complete failure both from an artistic and moral point of view." - DNB. Northcote's engravings were widely popular, but perhaps not for their stated purpose.