Suicide of the Countess 1745

William Hogarth painted "Suicide of the Countess" in oil on canvas, part of his series "Marriage A-la-Mode," a stinging critique of 18th-century British aristocratic society. The scene depicts the tragic aftermath of the Countess's affair and financial ruin. Hogarth masterfully uses visual cues to communicate moral decay: the disarray of the room, the discarded chair, the gnawing dog, and the quack doctor futilely attempting resuscitation, all speak volumes about the destructive consequences of unchecked desire and social climbing. Hogarth's series directly challenges the conventions of aristocratic portraiture, using the format of high art to satirize the very class that typically commissioned it. By examining the prints and other social documents of the period, we can better understand Hogarth's intentions and the complex relationship between art, commerce, and social critique in 18th-century England.