Is Hogarth’s Marriage a La Mode a reflection, or a critique of enlightenment ideas? Or is it both?
Hogarth’s Marriage a La Mode is undoubtedly one of his masterpieces, not only practically, but also with regards to its content of 18th Century Enlightenment ideologies. The series of paintings critique these ideas with a considerable amount of satire and a predominant mockery of the 28th Century upper classes. The series begins with a settlement of an arranged marriage mainly for patronage, but ends in death for both involved. Each plate has significant references to the enlightenment thinking, the central element being social issues but with a strong concern for morality. “I have endeavoured to treat my subjects as a dramatic writer; my picture is my stage, and men and women my players, who by means of certain actions and gestures are to exhibit a dumb show.’[1] Here we can see that Hogarth is using his practical skills but portraying them as an intellectual “writer” with characters to critique certain elements of the enlightenment. He is certainly using theatrical pieces of work as a caution against the current society in the 18th century, through satire, dramatisation and humour.
The series begins with the first plate, which sees the marriage settlement, even though marriage between the aristocracy and lower middle classes was frowned upon in the 18th century. This piece is very much a critique of the upper classes life style and dealings. In the 18th century social status was very much determined upon heredity and the differentiation between orders and estates. We can see the Earl of Squander sitting on the right, and an Alderman in the middle holding a marriage certificate, wanting to buy his way into the aristocracy by marrying his son to the daughter of the Earl. However, this is where the satirical thought comes into play; the Earl is more than willing to buy into the marriage, as he needs to finance his luxurious, aristocratic lifestyle. Here we can see Locke’s “social contract” theory, in the sense that in the raw state of human nature, all men were naturally selfish. But obviously this not only a critique of the aristocracy but is a satirical critique of Locke’s idea, as the Earl is seeking to fund his extravagant lifestyle through selfish dealings. Locke’s suggested that this act of selfishness was due to the simple fact of currency. In a “natural state” all humans are equal and have the right to protect their “life, health, liberty, or possessions.”[2] But again in the light of enlightenment ideas we can see that Hogarth has completely used the idea of selfishness in this piece. The interior of the room in which the settlement is taking place is rather profuse. We can see pieces of art covering the walls and were generally a comment on the Earls status in the 18th century, but Hogarth has used this to signify the happenings in the room. The Earl is represented as Jupiter (the painting next to the widow) and is looking away from what is happening. Hogarth also used mockery in the sense that he depicts Medusa screaming at the events which are taking place. The room is very grand indeed and suggests Hogarth’s comment on ownership and property, we can see that the Earl needs financial stability to fund his new building which is in progress, and we can see the architect holding up the plans against the window.
Locke’s ideas of property are a victim of Hogarth satire and are on the verge on contradictory, as the economy was introduced with resilient goods, men saw the opportunity to exchange goods (money) for more material things and not abuse the natural law. However the alderman is looking to heighten his family social status by buying into the squander’s family through marriage, which of course does not coincide with the natural law of equality. The son, Viscount Squanderfield and the daughter of the alderman do not seem to be taking any notice of one another witch symbolises disinterest. This is also represented by the two dogs sitting in the foreground of the painting, replicating the vacant body language of the “couple”. Hogarth also depicts the Earl as having an overindulgent lifestyle by the use of the bandage on his foot, which would seem to be gout. In the 18th century gout was a symbol of having too many rich foods, alcohol and sexual activity.
The series can also be seen as a comment upon Voltaire’s: Candide; A story of intellectual progression, individual experience, and philosophical optimism. The Earl is “endlessly trying to improve himself” and is never genuinely happy. Throughout the series we see encounters of which are caused by human beings, who have a disastrous effect upon other human beings, just like Voltaire, Hogarth has used humour to portray these ideas. The last four paintings show this irrationality, ignorance, violence and immoral subjects in more detail. There is certainly a greater pessimistic although satirical view. The third picture reveals a significant notion of what is going to prevail in the rest of the series. Hogarth illustrates the new earl visiting a quack doctor with his mistress. We can see a pill box, near his groin which suggests that he is taking pills to either cure his syphilis or to improve his sexual performance; in any case we see that the Earl wants the best of both worlds and doesn’t seem to care about his moral responsibilities.
We can see in the background a skeleton resting upon a body, which may suggest the fate of the couple. This is again emphasised by the skull situated on the table to the left of the painting. Here we can once again see Hogarth’s satirical views of the 18th century aristocracy and the way society was. The doctor’s room was seen to be fashionable with “cabinets of curiosities”[3] and was thought that if the room was full of monsters and stuffed animals, this would increase advertisement and his social status. Here we can strongly see Hogarth’s critique as monsters were also seen as justice, which obviously the earl may face for his immoral actions. It seems as though Hogarth is critiquing what life may have involved in later years if the enlightenment was established in the world. Namely one major factor, is consequence, which I think is rather a recurrent theme. It is the ignorant society that leads the Earl to his death. The Earl’s fathers interests focus solely upon money and maintaining his high profile lifestyle. This has obviously been passed onto his son, not living in the real world with any moral thought. Another point which coincides with the candide enlightenment ideas is the act of murder. Hogarth shows the Earl wounded from a knife, which the Lawyer, (whom the countess is courting) stabbed him with. Hogarth introduces humour into this by placing the Earls grief stricken face within a picture frame. This is where I think Hogarth illustrates the certain decay of the aristocracy and what makes this so true to enlightenment ideals and progression of the time, is that the prints were made so that the lower and middle classes could afford them. Again resulting in a critique from Hogarth showing the upper classes as not having the morals and humble thinking processes of the middle and lower classes, due to the enlightenment. In the last scene, the countess has taken an overdose due to the execution of the Lawyer she was secretly courting. We can see that the child is showing signs of having syphilis, which was obviously contracted from the birth from the countess. Another illustration of ill morals is the taking of the ring from the countess’s finger; otherwise the ring would be “forfeited to the crown if not removed”[4]. This is humoured by the painting in the background of a man urinated in a chamber pot, surely signifying the disapproval of the happenings that are occurring.
In conclusion, from the marriage a la mode scenes, we can see that Hogarth makes a satirical comment on the decay of the aristocracy, which may be symbolic of the 18th century shift in thought, known as the Enlightenment. With enlightenment thinkers trying to influence people’s method of judgment in order to create a new society, it soon became visible that things were not going to develop in society without wars and revolutions. By looking at the ideas of the social contract in that all men are born selfish and that it is only through life experience that we can gain moral thoughts as human beings all together in one harmonious society, in comparison to marriage a la mode, there is no reason why the lower and middle classes would also not critique this, just like Hogarth. Even though the couples’ relationship was full of hypocrisy and false feelings, Hogarth never shows them trying to obtain a way out of the marriage, instead they are destructive towards each other and people around them, all for the benefit of social status and succession of wealth, which of course like in candide, end fatally for some characters on their part. Finally, the underlying satirical themes seem to come as a warning from Hogarth to the lower and middle classes, to caution against debauched morality and hopefully obtain a new method of thinking, gradually creating a more civilised, “enlightened” society.
Bibliography:
1. Voltaire, Candide, Penguin Classics, June 30, 1950.
2. Hobbes. T, the Leviathan Published by Kessinger Publishing, 2004.
3. Locke Social Contract: Essays by Locke, Hume and Rousseau, By Ernest Barker, John Locke, David Hume, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Published by Oxford University Press, 1960.
4. Haslam.F, From Hogarth to Rowlandson: Medicine in Art in Eighteenth-century Britain: illustrated Published by Liverpool University Press, 1996.
5. Hogarth, Anecdotes of William Hogarth: Published by J.B. Nichols and son, Original from Harvard University, 1833.
[1] Hogarth, Anecdotes of William Hogarth: Published by J.B. Nichols and son, Original from Harvard University, 1833.
[2] Locke Social Contract: Essays by Locke, Hume and Rousseau, By Ernest Barker, John Locke, David Hume, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Published by Oxford University Press, 1960.
[3] Haslam.F, From Hogarth to Rowlandson: Medicine in Art in Eighteenth-century Britain: illustrated Published by Liverpool University Press, 1996.
[4] Hogarth, Anecdotes of William Hogarth: Published by J.B. Nichols and son, Original from Harvard University, 1833.
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