Description:
Hogarth prints were among the most popular available before the 19th century--so much so that it was easy to get pirated editions of his works. "Hogarth was a moral dramatist... in favor of raising satire to an artistic standard that would attract a cultivated if not intellectural audience. "Marriage a-la--Mode follows the unhappy marriage and fatal end of a young couple whose marriage was arranged for financial gain, The union quickly unravels in the face of gambling, infidelity, and greed. As in all his works, these prints are full of detail and symbols, and give an accurate portrayal of funiture and interior decor of his period. Plate VI, The Lady's Death, "His Father House, Remorse makes her Resort; Her Love's comdemn'd, she hears the Dread Report. The Shocking Scene by Poison Ends her Pain; The Sordid Father Thirsts Still for Gain." one of a set of six hand-colored engravings titled "MARRIAGE A-LA-MODE. Plate VI. The Lady's Death. Invented & Painted by Wm. Hogarth. Line etching with burin work on paper with watercolor Interior with unconscious woman in chair on right. A child, held by another woman, clings to woman in chair. A man slips a ring off her finger. Two other men stand to the left. The final scene takes place in the house of the Countess's father. She has taken poison on learning that her lover has been hanged for the murder of the Earl, reported in the broadsheet at her feet. Her crippled child embraces her and her father removes a ring from her finger as a suicide's possessions were forfeit. In the centre an apothecary remonstrates with the servant whom he accuses of obtaining the poison. Through the window to the right is a view of Old London Bridge. A dog seizes his chance to make off with the frugal meal on the table. The paintings on the wall to the left are Dutch low-life scenes, indicating the taste of the alderman.
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https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+59.077.6 |
