Minneapolis Institute of Art

Marriage à la Mode, Plate 2

William Hogarth; Engraver: Bernard Baron

Date

1745

Medium

Etching and engraving, third state of five

Department

European Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

The couple is shown at home after a night of revelry; the clock reads 1:20 a.m. The young man apparently has just returned, as his sword is shown lying at his feet, symbolically broken, and the dog sniffs at a woman's cap stowed in his pocket. His wife appears to have hosted a rather raucous card party: furniture is tipped over, and the ground is strewn with cards and books, one on the game of whist. The young bride and groom are as disconnected as at the moment of their engagement. He stares into space, exhausted and rather miserable after a night of debauchery. She appears worn out, too, as she indecorously splays her arms and legs, although one suspects that her evening passed more innocently. England, Europe

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