It's All in the Detail - A Rake's Progress (Scene 8)

The Madhouse

This may end up not being politically correct, I'm afraid. So, I apologise in advance if some of my wording isn't the right terminology. Just remember that a lot of the content in this one would have been commonplace when Hogarth was alive.

In the final scene, Tom Rakewell has apparently suffered some kind of nervous breakdown, and has been committed to a lunatic asylum, as it was probably referred to back then (rather than a psychiatric hospital). It's hard to see, but there's a small sign on the banister on the right which says what looks like "BH". This suggests that the location is Bethlem Hospital, also known as "Bedlam", which had a notorious reputation amongst such institutions.

As Tom is being stripped and shackled by the orderlies, he is being comforted by Sarah Young. She's the only person who seems to showing any pity.

Other inmates seem to include a musician with a violin, a man who believes to be a bishop, and another who seems to be the king.

However, the most notable characters are two woman of distinctly noble bearing, who seem to be visiting the asylum for a day out. I wonder of Hogarth was taken aback by the fact that such a thing was permitted. That maybe so, but their presence does represent a tragic irony for our protagonist; Tom has become little more than an exhibition for the nobility he sought to emulate.

And that pretty much brings it to a close. I'm sure there a plenty of other details that I haven't seen, but I was mainly trying to discern the story from the picture. I hope you've enjoyed this series. I'd best get back to work.

It's All in the Detail - A Rake's Progress (Scene 7)

The Prison

In the penultimate scene, Tom Rakewell has been incarcerated in a debtor's prison. He's being scolded by his wife, and harassed for money by the beer boy and the jailer (denoted by the ring of keys and the ledger). Sarah Young is visiting, but is unable to help him this time and faints from the sight of his lament.

It's clear that some time has passed between the fifth scene (the marriage) and this one, from the presence of Tom's wife and Sarah's child. Tom's wife had a more plump figure in her previous appearance, but now she looks scrawny, indicating that they're now both destitute. Meanwhile, Sarah's child was an infant when Tom got married, but now she's slightly older in this scene. She also looks more angry than distressed over her mother fainting. Well, she did witness her grandma get into a scuffle at the wedding.

The scene also shows numerous desperate money-making schemes employed by inmates to pay off their debts:

• The man helping Sarah has dropped a pamphlet he's writing on how to solve national debt. The front page also establishes that the scene takes place in Fleet Prison.
• Another inmate is performing an alchemy experiment, hoping to convert base metals into gold.
• Someone else has tried to invent a means to fly (similar to the myth of Daedalus). A prototype lies on top of the bed
• Tom has tried writing a play. The bulky script lies on the table beside him, along with the rejection letter

All in all, the scene is an exploration of the grim prospects faced by those in debt.

It's All in the Detail - A Rake's Progess (Scene 6)

The Gaming House

It's the beginning of the end for Tom Rakewell, and a chance for Hogarth to deliver a harsh satire on gambling addiction. Tom has just lost his second fortune at the gaming table, and is directing his rage to the heavens. His wig lies on the floor next to him, as if he has just thrown it off. This could represent his loss of status. On the table behind him is the fortune out of his reach, rapidly changing hands between the other gamblers.

Tom is positioned between two others who have lost and are resorting to extremes: stealing and borrowing.

On the right is a highwayman sitting by the fireplace. This is implied by his attire (a riding cloak and boots rather than shoes), along with the mask and pistol protruding from his coat pocket. He's looking dejected, possibly contemplating another robbery to fund his gambling habit. Which carries the risk of arrest and most certainly a trip to the gallows.

On the left is a nobleman who has also lost. He is brokering a loan with a moneylender to keep playing. The entry in the ledger identifies him as "Lord Cogg".

At the gaming table, two other gamblers seem to be cursing their losses, another two are collecting their winnings, and two more seem to be having a dispute (which may involve swords). Only the croupiers and the watchman at the door are aware that a fire is breaking out. This all fits Hogarth's narrative about the dangers of gambling addiction.

It's All in the Detail - A Rake's Progress (Scene 5)

The Marriage

When we last left Tom Rakewell, he narrowly escaped being arrested for debt after being bailed out by his ex-girlfriend. While he may be free, he's still broke and unwilling to work for a living. In order to restore his fortunes and pay off his debts, he is now marrying a much older but wealthier woman.

An engraving on the wall establishes the setting at St Marylebone Parish Church. The church itself is shown to be run-down and dilapidated; the plaster is coming off the walls and the collection box is covered by cobwebs. Sounds like an ideal sort of place for a clandestine wedding.

Tom's new bride seems to be focusing on the wedding ring with her one good eye. Meanwhile, Tom himself is focused more on the young maid, emphasising that there is little for him in this marriage other than financial gain. The wedding is mirrored by two dogs in the corner, with one of them missing an eye.

Sarah Young appears in the background with her infant child, while her mother is scuffling with one of the wedding guests. This is a constant reminder of the life Tom could have had if he had chosen to settle down and marry Sarah.

It's All in the Detail - A Rake's Progress (Scene 4)

The Arrest

It's only a matter of time before a lavish lifestyle incurs lavish debts.

In this scene, Tom Rakewell is travelling by sedan chair to an event at St James' Palace (visible in the background, with a lot of sedan chairs). However, he is accosted in the street by bailiffs, one of whom is carrying an arrest warrant. Fortunately, he is saved from prison by the timely intervention of Sarah Young (his ex-girlfriend from the first scene). The box she carries indicates that she's now working as a milliner, and she's shown to be offering to pay Tom's bail with her meagre savings. There's a contrast here, as Sarah has earned her money, rather than inheriting it.

Wikipedia claims that the event Tom is attending is a royal birthday celebration, specifically that of Queen Caroline. Running the dates on this, George II was king when this was painted, and Queen Caroline was his consort. Her birthday falls on March 1st, coinciding with St David's Day. One of Tom's porters and the smartly-dressed onlooker are wearing leeks in their hats to observe this, the leek being a Welsh symbol.

In a rather comedic detail, the man refilling the oil lamps is watching the scene unfold, unaware that he's spilling oil on Tom's head. It was common practice for priests to anoint a person's head with oil when administering a blessing, and this is being referenced here; Tom is being saved by Sarah. However, he'll probably feel humiliated.

If narrowly escaping arrest and getting dripped on isn't enough, a street urchin is stealing his walking stick. This could establish that Tom's in over his head, and everything is beginning to fall apart.

Perhaps there is a way he could repay Sarah.

It's All in the Detail - A Rake's Progress (Scene 3)

The Orgy

I've often used this one whenever a Twitter tag calls for aesthetics boards.

The previous picture looked at Tom Rakewell by day. This time, we look at him by night. It's three o'clock in the morning (from Tom's watch), and Tom has been on a wild night out with a friend, culminating in a debauched party at a brothel (The engraving on the silver dish indicates they're at the Rose Tavern on Drury Lane). Our protagonist is quite drunk at this point, and is unaware that one of the prostitutes has lifted his watch and is passing it to her friend.

At Tom's feet is a staff and lantern, probably stolen from a night watchman for a drunken dare. He's also been using his sword, which is unsheathed but on his belt, possibly to show off; on the walls around the room are pictures of Roman Emperors, all of which have been defaced with the exception of Nero. As Nero was infamous for the persecution of Christians, his undamaged presence could be symbolising the absence of Christian values in the scene.

Also lying by Tom's feet is a small tin, which most likely contains mercury pills; a popular cure for syphilis. Many of the prostitutes in the scene have black spots, which are meant to be "beauty spots" intended to hide syphilitic sores. So, if those pills aren't Tom's, there's a good chance he'll be needing them soon enough.

Also, one of the women by the door is holding a piece of paper labelled "Black Joke". I have no idea what that entails.

All in all, sounds like a good night.

It's All in the Detail - A Rake's Progress (Scene 2)

The Levee

I had to read a little around this one. In the second picture, we follow Tom as he has moved to more upscale lodgings with the intention of living like a king. In accordance to this, he is holding what is known as a "levee". A royal custom later adopted by the aristocracy, this was a formal reception held immediately after waking up (typically late in the morning). With this in mind, Tom is identifiable from his nightcap, indicating that he has only just got up to hold this reception.

Going from left to right, Tom's entourage includes:

• A harpsichord player reading from an opera called "The Rape of the Sabines", an event in Roman mythology which was depicted by many Renaissance-era painters
• The Wikipedia page claims that the harpsichord player is meant to be the composer George Frederic Handel, but I don't know how this is established. There aren't any references to any operas under that title being attributed to him
• A fencing master, indicated by the foil he's wielding
• A second trainer, carrying two quarterstaffs and looking disdainfully at the fencing master
• A effeminate-looking man with a violin, implied from his posture to be a dance teacher
• A landscape designer, indicated by the garden plan in his hands
• An ex-soldier offering to be a bodyguard (Tom seems to be asking him about the letter of introduction in his hands)
• A jockey with a trophy, who seems to be asking for sponsorship
• A bugler, presumably from a fox-hunting club

Draped on the harpsichord player's chair is a list of items Tom has purchased, indicating that he is a spendthrift in contrast to his miserly father.

The paintings on the wall show two roosters, which are believed to be associated with cockfighting. I believe this implies that while Tom is seeking to emulate the nobility, he is still an outsider. In-between them is a lewd painting depicting The Judgement of Paris (It's hard to see, but one of the women is meant to be Athena). This event in classical mythology would eventually lead to the fall of Troy, so it could be said that its presence in the painting is foreshadowing Tom's inevitable downfall.

Finally, this painting reveals Tom's surname as Rakewell (shown on the bill and a poem on the floor).

It's All in the Detail - A Rake's Progress (Scene 1)

The Heir

We're often taught to capture moments in our writing, in a similar manner to that of a photograph. With that in mind, I thought I'd look at how this is accomplished in a series paintings. One of my favourite artists is William Hogarth, who produced morality tales which are akin to storyboards. The most famous of these is A Rake's Progress, an eight-part serial which depicts the downfall of an aspiring playboy. I'm looking specifically at the print versions (found on Wikimedia Commons), which show the most detail. I've already discussed A Rake's Progress on my other blog here, but I thought I'd do a "marathon" of sorts on this blog, perhaps to help me understand the process.

In this first picture, we follow our protagonist, Tom (identified by a diary on the floor), who has returned home from Oxford (also referenced in the diary). He has recently come into fortune following the death of his father, which is indicated by the upholsterer in the background putting up black fabric. Tom has apparently unearthed all his father's valuables and papers which indicate his new assets: mortgages, bonds, leases, fines, and indentures (suggesting his father was a moneylender). This has almost immediately gotten to his head, as he's already hired a tailor to measure him for new clothes.

The weeping woman (identified by the letters she carries as Sarah Young) is a former romantic partner of Tom's, whom he is breaking up with and offering money. Sarah is holding a ring, indicating that Tom had proposed marriage but is now reneging, while the second woman (presumably her mother) is pointing at her torso, suggesting that she is pregnant with Tom's child. Yeah, Tom's not the most sympathetic character. That said, this is supposed to be a downfall story.

However, if there is anybody who gets the most characterisation in this picture, it's Tom's late father. The bulk of the detail in the picture indicates that he was a miser: His portrait shows him counting money; his coat of arms shows three clamped vices and the motto "beware"; the cupboard containing a roasting jack is shown to have a padlock, while an emaciated cat searches for food in a chest of silverware; the clean fireplace suggests he didn't spend much on heating; he even went as far as re-soling his shoes using the leather cover of a Bible. I have the feeling that would have something of a shock value at the time it was originally produced (between 1732 and 1735).

I'll have a look at the following pictures over the next few days.