Description:
Framed brush and ink drawing by William Webb on handmade laid paper, which is signed on the back "Wm. Webb, Hogarth." In 1731-32, William Hogarth (1697-1764) painted "A Midnight Modern Conversation" satirizing the excesses of drinking by members of a London drinking club. The title’s ‘Conversation’ refers to conversation pictures – a type of narrative painting depicting everyday life. But instead of genteel parlors, tea tables, and aristocratic ladies, Hogarth displays a motley crew of loud mouths, bores, fools, and drunks sprawled around drunk, stupefied, and/or maudlin around an oval table with a large delft punch bowl in the center at 4 am. The room supposedly represents St. John's Coffee-house near the Law Courts in London. In showing all the degrees of drunkenness, Hogarth commented on the social behavior of prominent business men and lawyers, for nearly all the figures can be identified (despite Hogarth's assertion that they were imaginary). Hogarth issued the original engraving in London on March 1, 1733 to such popular response that pirated editions appeared within days. Versions of the scene also appeared on snuff bottles, punch bowls, and mugs; the print was also very popular in the colonies. Below the drawing in pen and iron gall ink is the verse: "If well you mind that roaring Blade, / Who claps his Wig on Parson's head, / You hardly can forbear to say / You hear him cry the Church Huzza / The Beau, behind the Parson, view: / But have a care -- He's going to spew / The Parson a true thirsty Soul; / Rejoices o'er the Spacious Bowl / And Swears he'll make ye Justice yonder / (Who in ye Night-cap sits) Knock under, / His Worship winks, & seems to answer, / You'll find that [your] mistake [you] Man Sir. / The Counsellor with wig awry, / Laughs, while his Client standing by, / With maudlin eyes & rueful Face, / And frequent Hickups, tells his case; / The Captain on the floor lies Sprawling, / And scarce the Doctor keeps from falling. / Snoring with open Mouth, see where / One Sits insensible of Care / On t'other side the Politi--n, / Is almost in the same condition. / The expiring snuffs, the Bottles broke, / And a full Bowl at four o'Clock."
Subjects:
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https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+97.7 |
