~ B. Baron Engraving ‘Marriage A-la-Mode’ Plate II After William Hogarth c1745 ~
‘Marriage A-la-Mode’ was a series of six pictures painted by William Hogarth between 1743 and 1745.
This engraving, named ‘The Tête à Tête’ the second in the series was made after the original by the French artist Bernard Baron (1696–1762) and published in April 1745.
The image shows a married couple seated in separate chairs while a servant stands to the right hand edge of the image.
Below the image reads ‘Invented, Painted And Published By W.Hogarth, Engraved By B. Baron According To Act Of Parliament April 1st 1745’.
The engraving is mounted and presented in a glazed frame.
~ Dimensions ~
The image measures 43.5cm (17 ¼ inches) by 37cm (14 ½ inches).
The frame measures 62cm (24 ½ inches) by 55cm (21 ½ inches) and weighs 2.2 Kg.
~ Condition ~
There is a small mark in the ladies skirt (see images) and a few small tears in the lower margin but otherwise the piece is in a very nice condition.
The frame is in good order with a few small chips but no major problems.
~ Marriage A-la-Mode by W. Hogarth~
‘Marriage A-la-Mode’ is a series of six pictures painted by William Hogarth between 1743 and 1745, intended as a pointed skewering of 18th-century society. They show the disastrous results of an ill-considered marriage for money or social status, and satirises patronage and aesthetics.
The original pictures are now held in the National Gallery in London.
Plate II ‘The Tête à Tête’ pictures a scene shortly after the marriage. There are signs that the marriage has already begun to break down. The husband and wife appear uninterested in one another, amidst evidence of their separate dalliances the previous night. A small dog finds a lady’s cap in the husband’s coat pocket, indicating his adultery. A broken sword at his feet shows that he has been in a fight. The posture of the wife also indicates unfaithfulness. The disarray of the house and the servant holding a stack of unpaid bills shows that the affairs of the household are a mess.
