This exhibition is the culmination of the third-year History of Art unit ‘Prints’. Students enrolled on this unit have the unique opportunity to work first-hand with the department's collection of fine art prints to curate their own exhibition on a theme of their choosing.

The 2023 Prints cohort chose to focus their display around William Hogarth’s 1732 series A Harlot’s Progress. Their exhibition brings together other prints in the department’s collection that address social satire, the role of fashion, and interiors.

Students on this unit worked on their exhibition project from inception through to install, developing key curatorial skills along the way. Here are students’ own thoughts about their exhibition project:

“The prints unit has been such a highlight of my time at Bristol! Working together creatively and the physical process of setting up an exhibitions was so inspiring” Rowan McGee

 “Before my experience with the prints unit, I never really considered the significance of prints or the intricacies involved in curating exhibitions.” Juni Lundstøl

 “I really enjoyed this module! Being on the marketing team we were given the freedom to come up with ways to interact with our audience outside of the classroom.” Esme Ryan

 “I never realised how much you appreciate art when you’re actually holding it in your hands. In the class we were picking up prints, passing them round, getting right close up to them and seeing all these tiny details you might not catch on a screen – it’s amazing! I remember feeling quite nervous at first handling some of the really well-known prints by artists such as Hogarth and Hokusai…! I’m so grateful to have had this one-of-a-kind opportunity.” Saffron Skipper

In Conversation with Hogarth will be on display in the Exhibition Space until August 2023.