Marriage A-la-Mode, Plate II 1745

Bernard Baron created this print, "Marriage A-la-Mode, Plate II," in the mid-18th century. It's a window into the arranged marriages and social absurdities of the English upper class. The scene overflows with visual codes. A bored husband sits near the fireplace, while his wife seems equally disengaged. The steward’s expression as he holds a pile of bills suggests financial mismanagement, a common theme in critiques of aristocratic excess. Made during the reign of George II, this print reflects a society grappling with new wealth and shifting social hierarchies. Institutions like marriage itself were under scrutiny, seen as transactional rather than based on affection. Hogarth, the series' originator, aimed to expose the moral bankruptcy lurking beneath the veneer of high society. He intended for his art to have a public role: critiquing and, perhaps, reforming social behavior. To truly grasp the depth of this image, we can consult period literature, conduct genealogical research into aristocratic families, and examine the economic conditions of the time. Art like this gains its fullest meaning when seen within its social and institutional context.