Marriage A-la-Mode: 1, The Marriage Settlement
- Artist: William Hogarth
- Date: about 1743
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Museum: The National Gallery
- Collection record: The National Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is the Marriage A-la-Mode: 1, The Marriage Settlement by William Hogarth. Painted in about 1743, it's part of a series of six paintings that satirise the upper classes. In this scene, the Earl of Squander is negotiating the marriage of his son to the daughter of a rich Alderman of the City of London.
On the table, you can see money bags with their contents already emptied out, showing the financial motivations behind the marriage. The large parchment document in the centre is the marriage settlement, which will grant an aristocratic title to the Alderman's family and provide ready cash for the Earl.
Notice how the Earl seems to be trying too hard to display his wealth and status, with a coronet adorning his bed, crutches, footstool, and picture frames. Meanwhile, the bride's father looks on anxiously, probably aware of the costs involved in this union.
The young couple themselves seem completely disinterested in each other or the marriage. The Viscount is admiring himself in the mirror, taking a pinch of snuff, while his bride fidgets with her veil and ring. A foxhound and bitch are even chained together at their feet, anticipating the bonds that will soon tie them together.
The large black spot on the groom's neck suggests he may have contracted syphilis during one of his fashionable European travels. The overall mood is one of satire and social commentary, a hallmark of Hogarth's style.
See it in person
Marriage A-la-Mode: 1, The Marriage Settlement hangs in The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
