A RAKE'S PROGRESS, 1732-33 CE
"A Rake's Progress" is a series of eight paintings completed by William Hogarth in 1732-33 which were then produced as engravings for printing in 1735. They tell the story of Tom Rakewell, a wasteful "rake" who inherits a small fortune, wastes it through frivolous living, ends up in Fleet Prison, and then Bedlam hospital. Because "A Rake's Progress" effectively tells the story of a character's rise and fall in visual form, it has been thought of as an early example of a graphic story (Scott McCloud) and even a storyboard (Alan Parker).
You can find a neat activity to do with students that's inspired by visual narratives like A Rake's Progress (and The Stations of the Cross) under the Activities tab. It's Activity 4--Wordless Narrative.