William Hogarth, Marriage A-la-Mode 1

This series may seem rather outdated to our modern sensibilities, since marriage is not currently treated with nearly the same reverence as it once was. Even in my own lifetime, I have noticed how fewer and fewer couples will choose to tie the knot, while those who do will put it off as long as possible, and then they are quick to abandon their sacred promises when confronted with worldly obstacles.

Yet I suspect that people in all times and places are prone to twisting a blessing into a curse, and the health of any social institution will rise or fall with the moral values that stand behind it. I don't know whether to be disturbed or relieved to find that marriage in Hogarth's time was just as prone to abuse as it is in our own day. In the simplest of terms, when we reduce love to a vehicle for greed and lust, very bad things are bound to happen, both on the inside and on the outside of our souls.

These works were not quite as well-received as A Harlot's Progress and A Rake's Progress; perhaps the topic made folks uncomfortable by hitting too close to home? It appears that Hogarth intended to produce a sequel, The Happy Marriage, but this was never completed. I can only imagine it presenting the struggles of loyalty in the face of temptations and hardships, a theme that might be far less titillating but far more inspiring.

Earl Squanderfield is a member of the ancient nobility, but he is short on cash, so he has arranged for his son to marry the daughter of a wealthy merchant, a classic case of "old money" seeking to survive off of "new money". As is true for all grasping folks, who treat one another as means instead of as ends, life is about transactions, and people are little more than disposable commodities. Neither the young nor the old will come off well here, all of them caught up in their selfish desires.

The gouty Earl has been building himself a new mansion, as seen outside the window. He is proud to point to his family tree, though he is not too proud to arrange for the necessary funds by selling his family name to the highest bidder. In return, the stingy businessman gains status and prestige, a step up into the inner circles of high society. A banker is already grabbing his share of the profits as he does the paperwork. 

 The son has absolutely no interest in the proceedings, taking a pinch of snuff as he gazes into the mirror at his own handsome visage. The mark on his neck may reveal the signs of syphilis. His bride-to-be is distraught, a handkerchief pulled through the ring. The viewer has little time to feel sympathy, as the root of her own downfall makes an appearance: the shifty lawyer, Silvertongue, is already practicing his charms. 

In one of Hogarth's favorite devices, the two dogs tied to one another reflect the misery of the couple and the absurdities of our human condition. 

William Hogarth, Marriage A-la-Mode I: The Marriage Settlement (painting, 1743) 

William Hogarth, Marriage A-la-Mode I: The Marriage Settlement (engraving, 1745)