Hogarth as a Social Commentator

Have a little read: ... Hogarth as a Social Commentator William Hogarth existed in the increasingly commercialized society of the early eighteenth century, and the effects of a changing Britain inspired him to create his "Modern Moral Subjects" through which he could express his criticisms. Though he found no fault with the "free market" itself, Hogarth found fault with the corruptive behavior associated with the gaining of wealth, including moral, sexual and religious decadence. Through his A Harlot's Progress, British Museum, 1732, and Marriage a-la Mode, National Gallery, 1745, one can perceive his symbolic condemnation of these shortcomings of society, condemnations which allow him to be labeled as a social commentator of his time. The new consumer market was much larger and all encompassing, and works of art, a sign of class status, became commodities. Hogarth could observe the "connection between consumption, class, and imitation" (Paulson, Preface). He was then able to create his "Modern Moral Subjects", in which "each scene of a series was a 'set' based on real-life surroundings, and the events depicted were based on what Hogarth saw as reprehensible occurrences in society to which he could draw attention through the medium of his art" (Haslam, 88). Rather than follow the tradition of "High Art" of his contemporaries, he allowed the images in the foreground to be realistic and modern, while having allegorical pictures in the background as a significant reflection of these images. By using moral themes from traditional art to draw a contrast from what existed in society, "he intended to show that old views of morality were not necessarily appropriate to contemporary society" (Haslam, 88). In Hogarth's A Harlot's Progress, British Museum, 1732, the six scenes present a criticism of a society which lures innocent victims to destruction, creates exploitation of the poor and helpless by the rich and powerful, and puts self-interest above all else. "The country girl who aspired to be a lady, and who is not absolved from all blame for the circumstances in which she finds herself, embodied such pretensions, and her behavior - with its rewards of loss of liberty, poverty and disease - reinforced Hogarth's moral injunctions against prostitution" (Haslam, 89). The downfall of the country girl gives a warning of the consequences of such a way of life. A madam in the first scene entitled Arrival in London propositions this innocent-turned-harlot. She is implied to be a silly goose, akin the contents