1745 Antique Print; Marriage-a-la-Mode plate IV by Hogarth

Description: On offer: an original (i.e. not a later reproduction) antique engraved print 'Marriage à la Mode (Plate IV).' 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 satirize patronage and aesthetics. The pictures are held in the National Gallery in London. This series was not received as well as his other moral tales, A Harlot's Progress (1732) and A Rake's Progress (1735), and when the paintings were finally sold in 1751, it was for a much lower sum than the artist had hoped for. The prints were intended as a form of moral instruction; Hogarth was dismayed by the routine acts of cruelty he witnessed on the streets of London. In this plate, The Toilette (the name on its frame: The countess’s morning levee), the old earl has died, so the son is now the new earl and his wife is the countess. The countess sits with her back to her guests, oblivious to them, as a servant attends to her toilette. The lawyer Silvertongue from the first painting is reclining next to the countess, suggesting the existence of an affair. This point is underlined by the child in front of the pair, pointing to the horns on the statue of Actaeon, a symbol of cuckoldry. Paintings in the background include the biblical story of Lot and his daughters, Jupiter and Io, and the rape of Ganymede. The Actaeon and several other figurines are seen marked for auction. Such paintings depict the Africans present as dressed in European style and fashion, contrasting popular depictions of Africa in Europe as being inhabited by "doll worshippers and hunters". DATE PRINTED: 1745 or shortly afterwards (the final printing from the plates was 1822 so no later than this). SIZE: The sheet is 45 x 57 cm, 17.75 x 22.5 inches. The printed area being approximately 45.5 x 38 cm (18 x 15 inches). ARTIST/CARTOGRAPHER/ENGRAVER: Drawn by Hogarth. William Hogarth FRSA (10 November 1697 – 26 October 1764) was an English painter, printmaker, pictorial satirist, social critic, and editorial cartoonist. His work ranged from realistic portraiture to comic strip-like series of pictures called "modern moral subjects", perhaps best known being his moral series A Harlot's Progress, A Rake's Progress and Marriage A-la-Mode. Knowledge of his work is so pervasive that satirical political illustrations in this style are often referred to as "Hogarthian". A set of six copper plate engravings published in London, April 1st, 1745. Three French etchers and line engravers, Bernard Baron, Louis Gerard Scotin and Simon Francois Ravenet, engraved the plates after the designs of William Hogarth. PROVENANCE: Unknown.TYPE: Antique copper plate etching and engraving printed on paper. VERSO: There is nothing printed on the reverse side, which is blank. CONDITION: Good. Suitable for framing. Please check the scan for any blemishes prior to making your purchase. Virtually all antiquarian maps and prints are subject to some normal aging due to use and time which is not significant unless otherwise stated. AUTHENTICITY: This is an authentic antique prints, published at the date stated above. I do not offer reproductions. It is not a modern copy. The term 'original' when applied to a print means that it was printed at the first or original date of publication; it does not imply that the item is unique. RETURNS POLICY: I offer a no questions returns policy. All I ask is that you pay return shipping and mail back to me in original condition.POSTAGE / SHIPPING COSTS: I only charge postage for the first print ordered. There is no additional postage charge if you order more than one print. BACKGROUND INFORMATION: . Please explore my ebay shop for more antique prints. Track Page Views With Auctiva's FREE Counter

Price: 69.99 GBP

Location: Marlow

End Time: 2025-01-11T10:36:21.000Z

Shipping Cost: 19.67 GBP