Marriage A-la-Mode: 4, The Toilette 

William Hogarth created this oil-on-canvas painting, The Toilette, as part of his series Marriage A-la-Mode, a pointed commentary on 18th-century British society. Here, we see the rituals of the elite, but Hogarth is far from reverent. The scene bristles with social and moral decay. Note the lewd paintings in the background, the disarray of the room, and the bored expressions of the characters. Hogarth uses these visual cues to critique the aristocracy's obsession with appearances and the vacuousness of arranged marriages. The Black servant is a status symbol, and his presence speaks to England’s involvement in colonial trade. Hogarth was deeply concerned with the role of art in public life. He saw his paintings as a form of visual satire, meant to expose the follies of the upper classes. By studying period documents, such as conduct books, fashion plates, and theater bills, we can gain a fuller appreciation of Hogarth's social critique and how he challenged the art institutions of his day.