Hogarth as a Social Commentator
Hogarth as a Social Commentator
William Hogarth existed in the increasingly commercialized society of the early eighteenth century, and the effects of a changing Britain inspired him to create his "Modern Moral Subjects" through which he could express his criticisms. Though he found no fault with the "free market" itself, Hogarth found fault with the corruptive behavior associated with the gaining of wealth, including moral, sexual and religious decadence. Through his A Harlot's Progress, British Museum, 1732, and Marriage a-la Mode, National Gallery, 1745, one can perceive his symbolic condemnation of these shortcomings of society, condemnations which allow him to be labeled as a social commentator of his time.
The new consumer market was much larger and all encompassing, and works of art, a sign of class status, became commodities. Hogarth could observe the "connection between consumption, class, and imitation" (Paulson, Preface). He was then able to create his "Modern Moral Subjects", in which "each scene of a series was a 'set' based on real-life surroundings, and the events depicted were based on what Hogarth saw as reprehensible occurrences in society to which he could draw attention through the medium of his art" (Haslam, 88). Rather than follow the tradition of "High Art" of his contemporaries, he allowed the images in the foreground to be realistic and modern, while having allegorical pictures in the background as a significant reflection of these images. By using moral themes from traditional art to draw a contrast from what existed in society, "he intended to show that old views of morality were not necessarily appropriate to contemporary society" (Haslam, 88).
In Hogarth's A Harlot's Progress, British Museum, 1732, the six scenes present a criticism of a society which lures innocent victims to destruction, creates exploitation of the poor and helpless by the rich and powerful, and puts self-interest above all else.
"The country girl who aspired to be a lady, and who is
not absolved from all blame for the circumstances in
which she finds herself, embodied such pretensions,
and her behavior - with its rewards of loss of liberty,
poverty and disease - reinforced Hogarth's moral
injunctions against prostitution" (Haslam, 89).
The downfall of the country girl gives a warning of the consequences of such a way of life. A madam in the first scene entitled Arrival in London propositions this innocent-turned-harlot. She is implied to be a silly goose, akin the contents of her basket, and will obviously not be able to resist the influence of the corruptive forces. A pimp with a pendant noose, signifying lechery, shares the ...
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and her behavior - with its rewards of loss of liberty,
poverty and disease - reinforced Hogarth's moral
injunctions against prostitution" (Haslam, 89).
The downfall of the country girl gives a warning of the consequences of such a way of life. A madam in the first scene entitled Arrival in London propositions this innocent-turned-harlot. She is implied to be a silly goose, akin the contents of her basket, and will obviously not be able to resist the influence of the corruptive forces. A pimp with a pendant noose, signifying lechery, shares the background with a clergyman who "is too engrossed with his own advancement to be concerned with the fate of this young girl . . . A horse is a conventional symbol of base passion: the clergyman's horse is on loose rein" (Haslam, 90). With the clergyman on one side of her, and the madam and pimp on the other, the girl is taken in by the one that confronts her directly.
The girl's chosen path leads to scene two, entitled The Quarrel with her Jew Protector, where she has been acquired by a merchant Jew, who now possesses her like he possesses his "High Art" paintings, works he owns in order to emulate the upper classes. Hogarth uses these Old Master paintings to prove the Jew to be an ignorant art buyer, and the paintings also reflect the scene in the painting. "In one picture, Jonah, who is sitting under the protection of the gourd, finds it eaten by a worm overnight: the harlot, whose infidelity is synonymous with the worm, can expect the loss of the protective cover that has been supplied by the Jew" (Haslam, 91). The prostitute's frivolous ways are indicated by a black servant and pet monkey, but the fate of her current situation is shown by the hastily retreating lover and the broken china.
Now cast aside by the Jew, the third scene, named Apprehended by a Magistrate, shows the girl as a common prostitute. Her new situation is symbolized by the broomstick, with sexual connotations, and the phallic staves of the men entering the room, showing their sexual desires that cannot be masked by their authority. "The watch that she holds, which indicates the time of 11:45, is one of numerous symbols of the passing of time and the transience of life; time is running out" (Haslam, 92). The girl's fate is also indicated by her maidservant's nose, which implies she has syphilis. The girl's health is already failing, as shown by the medicine bottles in the room.
In the fourth scene, entitled Scene in Bridewell, the girl has been taken to the House of Correction where she must make rope.
"A 'Bartholomew doll' describes a tawdry, overdressed
woman . . . Hogarth makes play with the word 'doll' by
over-dressing the harlot in the circumstances portrayed,
but her finery helps to contrast her illusions of gentility
with the reality of her situation: its deterioration is
synonymous with the deterioration in her physical
condition" (Haslam, 93).
Scene five, "She expires while the Doctors are Quarrelling", finds the harlot dying of syphilis while the doctors argue over their respective treatments. Lying on the floor are the instructions for the use of an device to ward of the effects of the disease on children, as well as some badly stored condoms. The child for whom this was purchased is by the fire, and he is more concerned with his dinner and head lice than his own or his mother's fate. "The cracked mirror is a symbol of vanity, the vanity of women who survey their own femininity" (Haslam, 99). This mirror is cracked, and the harlot is unable to see herself as she really was.
In the final scene of the series, The Funeral, the attempts to save the girl's life have obviously not been successful, as it takes place at her funeral. The only regard shown for her loss of life is shown by one attendant, while the others continue their selfishness. The child has the position of the chief mourner. "The harlot's coat-of-arms aptly portrays her occupation, but its presence in the humble surroundings, or even its existence, its indicative of the pretentiousness which Hogarth perceived in his characters" (Haslam, 100). Even after the last scene, it is still not completely clear who Hogarth blames for this destructive course of events.
Hogarth's Marriage a-la-Mode, another of his "Modern Moral Subjects", continues to comment on the amorality and life of high society. In this series, he "comments upon the disturbing practice whereby a merchant might be willing to sell his daughter for an aristocratic 'label'" (Haslam, 101). In the first scene, entitled The Marriage Contract, two families are shown to be mingling, yet kept distinctly separate, with the groups placed neither by marriage bonds or family. Every detail is symbolic and defines the characters. The bride's father "wears glasses that indicate both his physical and moral shortsightedness; focusing on the marriage contract, he overlooks the physically and morally 'damaged goods' he is buying - the groom's lackadaisical slouch, the patch on his neck, and . . . the broken branch on the family tree" (Paulson, 217). The father of the future groom is Earl Squander, his son Viscount Squandor. And this name will prove appropriate when the son squanders his passion on prostitutes, as his father squanders his money. The Earl is dressed in is surrounded by foreign influences, including the Italian architecture and decorations. Hogarth wants to imply that the deterioration of the family is due to outside foreign manners and customs. The Earl, by his bandaged foot, can be seen to have gout, a reward for his style of living. In this scene, a title is being exchanged for money through the marriage contract, and the future bride and groom are not at all consulted and do not seem to show any interest. The young lady is actually more interested in the lawyer Silvertongue, foreshadowing their affair.
In the second scene, Tete a tete, the young people have married and continued with living the "high life". Surrounding them are symbols of their broken relationship: "candles burn low, Cupid, whose bow-string is broken, is shown in the picture over the mantelpiece playing the bag-pipes, an instrument notably lacking in harmony." (Haslam, 104). The dog has found a lady's cap in the viscount's pocket, showing he is having an affair. The steward is leaving the room upset at the chaos and disorder of the household, and carries unpaid bills.
The third scene, The Inspection, finds the young husband visiting the quack doctor, accompanied by a very young girl, which only increases the extent of his debauchery. The handkerchief she holds may conceal signs of a disease that she must have contracted from the viscount. By observing the doctor's office, one can see that he is French, and that Hogarth is looking down upon the gullibility of the patrons, as well as the manner and personality of the practitioner. In the fourth scene, The Toilette, one finds that the countess has had a child, as shown by a rattle hanging from her chair. The scene shows a levee in the wife's boudoir, and in attendance are an Italian opera singer and by Silvertongue. The black servant is pointing to a statue of Actaeon, and implies that the viscount is being cuckolded. And double standards prevail, for though the viscount is also having liaisons, the wife's affair results in her husband's death by her lover's hand in the fifth scene, The Bagnio.
The countess's death occurs in the last scene, The Lady's Death. A servant has given her laudanum to take. "The servant's cut-down coat has buttons missing, synonymous with his lack of mental faculties - a lack indicated also by his features and expression" (Haslam, 116). The merchant is removing the wife's ring, as monetary interests are still his main focus. The child in the scene is in a diseased state, caused by his parents, and his shortened life span will end the branch of the family tree. Hogarth uses syphilis to distinguish those who are moral delinquents.
"The subscription ticket for the first series, A Harlot's Progress, was Boys Peeping at Nature (1730). This was an allusion to the lifting of a veil in order to seek out the truth" (Haslam, 87). Hogarth allowed his satire to have great depths, with various forms of symbolism, recognizing that he was aiming his work at a knowledgeable audience. He wanted to expose hypocrisy of the people who claimed to uphold traditional values, but whose actions are grievous. He can therefore be accurately named a social commentator of his time.
