1-192-381 - © London Museum/Heritage-Images

'Cruelty in Perfection', 1751. The murdered body of Anne Gill lies in a churchyard in Marylebone, London. She has been murdered by her lover Tom Nero, whose child she was carrying. He stands at the foot of her body, being held by members of the public. The inside of his coat reveals a gun. A man holds the murder weapon, a knife, in front of Tom. Another man on the left holds a love letter that Anne had sent Tom, declaring her love. This is the third scene from a series entitled The Four Stages of Cruelty, which depicts stage in the life of the criminal Tom Nero. Nero for Hogarth represents the potential evil within London.