Marriage A-la-Mode, plate IV (reverse copy)

Marriage A-la-Mode, plate IV (reverse copy) by William Hogarth is a striking example of 18th-century English satirical art, realized through the exacting medium of etching and engraving. Although Hogarth completed the original sequence of paintings and subsequent prints in the early 1740s, this impression was created later, dated broadly between 1750 and 1850, classifying it as a variant or later edition of the famous series. Hogarth's Marriage A-la-Mode is a celebrated narrative cycle that viciously critiques the consequences of marriage arranged purely for social and financial gain among the English aristocracy.

The scene depicted in Plate IV, traditionally known as 'The Countess’s Levee,' satirizes the empty existence and moral decay of the newly married Countess. Hogarth captures a crowded, decadent morning reception in her dressing room, filled with a colorful cast of characters. Numerous women and men are present, engaged in frivolous activities that underscore the idleness of their class. While the Countess ignores the serious matters of the day, figures around her are shown reading correspondence, receiving guests, and partaking in early-morning social drinking. Hogarth masterfully uses visual cues, such as the chaotic arrangement of the room and the expressions of the figures, to emphasize the societal degradation linked to vanity and excess.

As a significant example of prints designed for mass consumption, this work was instrumental in disseminating Hogarth’s moralizing commentary widely across Georgian society. The print, a reverse copy, maintains the intense detail and narrative complexity that define the artist's output. This piece offers valuable insight into both the cultural history of the period and the specialized techniques of etching and engraving utilized by 18th and 19th-century printmakers. This edition of the renowned satirical series resides in the expansive collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.