{"product_id":"the-rakes-progress-plate-5-the-marriage-of-the-rake-william-hogarth","title":"The Rake's Progress, Plate 5: The Marriage of the Rake - William Hogarth","description":"\u003cp\u003eA satirical engraving from William Hogarth's The Rake's Progress, depicting the mercenary marriage of Tom Rakewell in a decaying church.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis engraving is the fifth scene in William Hogarth's celebrated moral series, The Rake's Progress. It depicts the protagonist, Tom Rakewell, marrying a wealthy, elderly, and one-eyed woman in the dilapidated St Marylebone Church. The scene is a biting commentary on the mercenary nature of marriage in eighteenth-century London, where Rakewell seeks to restore his squandered fortune through a union devoid of affection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHogarth fills the composition with symbolic details that mock the couple. The church is in a state of decay, mirroring the moral bankruptcy of the ceremony. In the background, a woman and her child, presumably Rakewell's abandoned mistress, attempt to enter the church, adding a layer of social critique regarding his treatment of those he has wronged. The presence of two dogs, one of which mimics the posture of the couple, serves as a visual pun on the nature of the union. The clergyman, oblivious to the surrounding chaos, continues the service with mechanical indifference.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe artist's technical skill is evident in the precise line work and the careful arrangement of figures within the cramped interior. Hogarth uses the medium of printmaking to reach a wide audience, ensuring his social observations were accessible beyond the elite circles of the art world. The inscription at the bottom of the plate provides a poetic summary of the scene, reinforcing the theme that gold can mask deformity and unite youth with age. This work remains a primary example of Hogarth's ability to blend narrative storytelling with sharp, observational humour. It captures the specific social anxieties of the Georgian era, focusing on the intersection of class, money, and personal morality.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"margin-top:2rem;padding-top:1.5rem;border-top:1px solid #e5e5e5;\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-size:0.85rem;color:#888;font-weight:600;margin:0 0 0.75rem;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:0.05em;\"\u003eYou might also like\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:0.5rem;\"\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/nl\/products\/the-marriage-settlement-plate-1-gerard-jean-baptiste-scotin-ii\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#f8f9fa;border:1px solid #e5e5e5;border-radius:20px;padding:0.35rem 0.85rem;font-size:0.8rem;color:#2a555a;font-weight:500;text-decoration:none !important;background-image:none !important;\"\u003eThe Marriage Settlement, Plate 1 - Gérard Jean-Baptiste Scotin II by Gérard Jean-Baptiste Scotin\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/nl\/products\/the-sleeping-congregation-thomas-cook\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#f8f9fa;border:1px solid #e5e5e5;border-radius:20px;padding:0.35rem 0.85rem;font-size:0.8rem;color:#2a555a;font-weight:500;text-decoration:none !important;background-image:none !important;\"\u003eThe Sleeping Congregation by Thomas Cook\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/nl\/collections\/william-hogarth\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#2a555a;border:1px solid #2a555a;border-radius:20px;padding:0.35rem 0.85rem;font-size:0.8rem;color:#ffffff;font-weight:500;text-decoration:none !important;background-image:none !important;\"\u003eMore by William Hogarth →\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"William Hogarth","offers":[{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ Small Square (30x30 cm) \/ -","offer_id":59475773620559,"sku":null,"price":37.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ Medium Square (40x40 cm) \/ -","offer_id":59475777716559,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ Large Square (50x50 cm) \/ -","offer_id":59475777749327,"sku":null,"price":55.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ Small Square (30x30 cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":59475777782095,"sku":null,"price":59.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ Small Square (30x30 cm) \/ Wood frame","offer_id":59475777814863,"sku":null,"price":59.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ Small Square (30x30 cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":59475777847631,"sku":null,"price":59.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ Medium Square (40x40 cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":59475777880399,"sku":null,"price":90.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ Medium Square (40x40 cm) \/ Wood frame","offer_id":59475777913167,"sku":null,"price":90.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ Medium Square (40x40 cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":59475777945935,"sku":null,"price":90.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ Large Square (50x50 cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":59475777978703,"sku":null,"price":99.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ Large Square (50x50 cm) \/ Wood frame","offer_id":59475778011471,"sku":null,"price":99.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ Large Square (50x50 cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":59475778044239,"sku":null,"price":99.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0833\/9292\/1935\/files\/The-Rake-s-Progress-Plate-5_-The-Marriage-of-the-Rake_Poster_CompositorV1_1794453013018.jpg?v=1794453188","url":"https:\/\/www.solisprints.co.uk\/nl\/products\/the-rakes-progress-plate-5-the-marriage-of-the-rake-william-hogarth","provider":"Solis Prints","version":"1.0","type":"link"}