The First Storyboard, 1730's.

Steve K

 

“A Rake's Progress …  is a series of eight paintings by 18th-century English artist William Hogarth. The canvases were produced in 1732–1734 … The series shows the decline and fall of Tom Rakewell, the spendthrift son and heir of a rich merchant, who comes to London, wastes all his money on luxurious living, prostitution and gambling, and as a consequence is imprisoned in the Fleet Prison and ultimately Bethlem Hospital (Bedlam) …  London's infamous mental asylum ...The filmmaker Alan Parker has described the works as an ancestor to the storyboard.” (Wikipedia)

So what does Igor Stravinsky do when he sees this series of images?  

“ ‘The Rake's Progress’ is an English-language opera from 1951 in three acts and an epilogue by Igor Stravinsky. The libretto, written by W. H. Auden and Chester Kallman, is based loosely on the eight paintings and engravings A Rake's Progress (1733–1735) of William Hogarth, which Stravinsky had seen on 2 May 1947, in a Chicago exhibition.”

Attached is tha last image in Bedlam.

Richard Haseltine

There were previous print seris 9and even stories on a single broadsheet), but I'd think some chruch wndows and even Clasical mosaics would also count since they show scenes from a story in sequence.

Steve K

Richard Haseltine said:

There were previous print seris 9and even stories on a single broadsheet), but I'd think some chruch wndows and even Clasical mosaics would also count since they show scenes from a story in sequence.

Good points.  The "first" wording was me exaggerating because of the direct connection to Stravinsky's opera.  I'm a big fan of the composer who arguably created 20th century classical music, even causing the audience to riot at one memorable premiere.