William Hogarth (1697 - 1764)
RA Collection: Art
Engraving reproducing (in reverse) the third of William Hogarth's set of six paintings Marriage A-la-Mode (1743-4, The National Gallery, London). The set, one of Hogarth's 'modern moral subjects', narrates an ill-fated marriage between the son of an impoverished aristocrat, the Earl of Squander, and the daughter of a wealthy City alderman. Hogarth's print Characters and Caricaturas (17/3433) was issued as the subscription ticket to purchasers of the set.
This third plate, 'The Inspection' shows the young viscount visiting a successful doctor, complaining that he has venereal disease despite having taken mercury pills. The sickly young woman beside him (his mistress) clearly also has the disease.
351 mm x 445 mm
Hogarth's prints. Vol. I. - [s.l.]: [n.d.]