A Midnight Modern Conversation 

William Hogarth created "A Midnight Modern Conversation," a print, sometime in the early 1730's. This image depicts a group of men gathered around a punch bowl, and it reflects important social and cultural shifts in early 18th-century England. The print satirizes the drinking habits of the upper classes, and Hogarth is suggesting their gatherings are unproductive. The men are so drunk that they're sprawled across the floor, slumped in their chairs, and are completely unable to engage in conversation. The artist is pointing to the moral decay that he sees in his society, and his prints often served as social commentary. Hogarth was very concerned about the effects of urbanization and commercialization on English society. He uses art as a tool for social reform, and a closer study of the artist's other works helps to understand Hogarth's perspective. The work critiques the institutions of art by representing the moral and social issues in society.