‘Recap of Night from this morning’

    

‘Night’ by William Hogarth tells a story of the politics between the two English Masonic systems in the 1730s.

As advertised last night, New Jersey Lodge of Masonic Research and Education 1786 hosted RW Bro. Andrew Farleigh via Zoom this morning for a discussion of “William Hogarth: The Hidden Secrets of ‘The Night.’” Our speaker is an experienced researcher and presenter of topics Masonic, and is Provincial Grand Orator at the Provincial Grand Lodge of Middlesex in the UGLE. The talk was recorded, and I hope it is somehow made available to an audience wider than the fifteen or so of our members who heeded the late call.

Bro. Farleigh led us on a tour of a London street late one night where chaos, replete with an overturned carriage, flames, and other misery, abounds as two pairs of Freemasons head toward each other.

From Bro. Farleigh’s presentation.

Bro. William Hogarth’s “Night” often is mischaracterized as mocking Freemasonry, but Farleigh delves into the symbols and details that tell the actual story. At left, facing us, is Bro. Thomas de Veil, a magistrate “renowned for corruption,” and with him is Bro. Andrew Montgomery, Grand Tyler, described as being not very smart. Both were Moderns, and are seen exiting the Rummer and Grapes. Approaching them on the right, with their backs toward us, are two Antient Masons, one dwarfish and therefore ineligible for membership in the Moderns, and the other a tradesman, equally undesirable to the elites who comprised the Moderns’ lodges.

From Bro. Farleigh’s presentation.

The rest of the scene merits insightful decoding, but I leave that to you. To book Bro. Farleigh for a talk, please feel free to email him here. Enjoy.

Bro. Andrew’s current topics for discussion (but he’s always adding more).

     

‘Tomorrow: Zoom meeting on Bro. Hogarth’

    

‘This is tomorrow!’

Sorry for the short notice—not my fault!—but New Jersey Lodge of Masonic Research and Education 1786 announced tonight how it will host a Zoom meeting at 10:30 in the morning starring a guest speaker from England. From the nick-of-time publicity:

New Jersey Lodge

of Masonic Research

and Education 1786

Presents Andrew Farleigh

on William Hogarth:

The Hidden Secrets

of “Night”

Click here

William Hogarth was a high quality English artist and Freemason from the first half of the 1700s, and his drawings and paintings of the time just before the merger of the two grand lodges really were eye-opening commentaries on the rival Masonic factions and on London life in general. 

There is a lot of history regarding the fractious nature of the divide between the Moderns and the Antients that is never publicized and rarely is discussed. We usually hear about those Masons wishing to retain the “old traditions” and those who wished to “modernize and streamline” the Order, but with little insight into why, what it really meant, and the “class snobbery” prevalent at the time.

Hogarth included much Masonic imagery into his work–mostly hidden with very clever technique. Hogarth’s work was brilliantly technical, very accomplished, and highly satirical; he did not worry about who he insulted, sometimes in brutal fashion. His particular skill was to incorporate images into his pictures, in plain view, that was unremarkable to the untrained eye, but once aware of his hidden messages and images, his works change completely.

Being a Freemason, he used his unique skills to comment not only on ordinary life in London, but also the personalities and goings-on at the Grand Lodge. No one was spared from his wit, cunning, and brilliance, and he developed a massive following and interest in his work as a result.

Meeting ID: 871 7318 8836

Passcode: 179859