A black patch on the viscount's neck is Hogarth's device for signifying the Viscount is suffering from syphilis.
The French doctor is based upon Dr. Rock (who can also be seen in A Harlot's Progress). His surgery was at 96, St. Martins Lane, Westminster, London.
The taller woman is opening a clasp knife and is turning away from the viscount whom she clearly dislikes. Commentators variously identify her as the child's mother, the doctor's assistant or another prostitute. According to one interpretation, if she were the child's mother, Hogarth would have almost certainly placed mother and child together. But according to the analysis of Judy Egerton, the curator of the National Gallery's exhibition, the interpretation is very different: The viscount has brought the child to the doctor because he believes he has infected her with syphilis. The woman with the knife is the girl's mother, feigning anger in order to blackmail the viscount, who is being set up. The child already had the disease when her mother sold her to him, either because he was not her first "protector" or because she inherited the illness from her syphilitic father, who is the quack doctor.[1]
The cabinet on the left has shelves crammed with apothecary's pots and a wolf's head on the top. On the left wall are two paintings of monsters: one is a man with his head below his shoulders underneath two mummies, and the other of a two headed hermaphrodite.
The cabinet against the rear wall has a door ajar, revealing a skeleton suggestively leaning against an embalmed body. There is also a long wig on a plaster head.
Fixed to the wall and on top of the cabinet, from left to right, there are: a narwal tusk (a classic phallic symbol), a pile of pill boxes, a bleeding basin (identified because of its scalloped side), a glass urinal, a giant plaster head with a huge femur behind, an alchemist's tripod for holding flasks over burners (or a gallows tree), a broken mediaevial comb, a tall red Jacobean hat, two mismatched mediaeval shoes, a spur buckler and a sword and shield.
On the ceiling is a stuffed crocodile with a large ostrich egg hanging from it.
The extremely complicated mechanical contraptions on the right are identified by the inscription on the open book, as being for setting a dislocated shoulder and drawing corks out of wine bottles. An additional inscription on the book reads, "Inspected and approved by the Royal Academy at Paris", Hogarth emphasising the ignorance of the French and their scant knowledge of medicine.
Commentaryedit
Georg Christoph Lichtenberg sees the basin, urinal, tripod, hat and spurs as a suggestion that the doctor's career has been barber, quack, near execution, doctor and finally knighthood.[2]
^"Art Critic London: Hogarth's Marriage A-la-Mode". www.william-hogarth.de.
^Lichtenberg, Georg (1970). "1". In Wensinger, Arthur S. and W. B. Coley (ed.). Hogarth on High Life (January 1798) (1 ed.). Middletown, Connecticut: Wesleyan University Press. p. 57. The Doctor's collection, commenting as it does both historically and prophetically on his career, might be interpreted as follows: he began as a beard trimmer; graduated to piss-analyst; barely skirting the gallows (by virtue of his curative powers) he grabbed for himself a doctor's hat; and is now counting on a knighthood, if he has not one already
External linksedit
Media related to Marriage à-la-mode: 3. The Inspection at Wikimedia Commons
The Literary Encyclopedia
October 31, 2023
marriage, mode, inspection, inspection, third, canvas, series, satirical, paintings, known, marriage, mode, william, hogarth, artistwilliam, hogarthyear1743mediumoil, canvasdimensions69, locationnational, gallery, londonthe, viscount, suffering, from, syphilis. The Inspection is the third canvas in the series of six satirical paintings known as Marriage a la mode by William Hogarth Marriage A la Mode 3 The InspectionArtistWilliam HogarthYear1743MediumOil on canvasDimensions69 9 cm 90 8 cm 27 5 in 35 7 in LocationNational Gallery LondonThe viscount suffering from syphilis makes a visit to a French doctor Contents 1 Details 2 Commentary 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksDetails editA black patch on the viscount s neck is Hogarth s device for signifying the Viscount is suffering from syphilis The French doctor is based upon Dr Rock who can also be seen in A Harlot s Progress His surgery was at 96 St Martins Lane Westminster London The taller woman is opening a clasp knife and is turning away from the viscount whom she clearly dislikes Commentators variously identify her as the child s mother the doctor s assistant or another prostitute According to one interpretation if she were the child s mother Hogarth would have almost certainly placed mother and child together But according to the analysis of Judy Egerton the curator of the National Gallery s exhibition the interpretation is very different The viscount has brought the child to the doctor because he believes he has infected her with syphilis The woman with the knife is the girl s mother feigning anger in order to blackmail the viscount who is being set up The child already had the disease when her mother sold her to him either because he was not her first protector or because she inherited the illness from her syphilitic father who is the quack doctor 1 The cabinet on the left has shelves crammed with apothecary s pots and a wolf s head on the top On the left wall are two paintings of monsters one is a man with his head below his shoulders underneath two mummies and the other of a two headed hermaphrodite The cabinet against the rear wall has a door ajar revealing a skeleton suggestively leaning against an embalmed body There is also a long wig on a plaster head Fixed to the wall and on top of the cabinet from left to right there are a narwal tusk a classic phallic symbol a pile of pill boxes a bleeding basin identified because of its scalloped side a glass urinal a giant plaster head with a huge femur behind an alchemist s tripod for holding flasks over burners or a gallows tree a broken mediaevial comb a tall red Jacobean hat two mismatched mediaeval shoes a spur buckler and a sword and shield On the ceiling is a stuffed crocodile with a large ostrich egg hanging from it The extremely complicated mechanical contraptions on the right are identified by the inscription on the open book as being for setting a dislocated shoulder and drawing corks out of wine bottles An additional inscription on the book reads Inspected and approved by the Royal Academy at Paris Hogarth emphasising the ignorance of the French and their scant knowledge of medicine Commentary editGeorg Christoph Lichtenberg sees the basin urinal tripod hat and spurs as a suggestion that the doctor s career has been barber quack near execution doctor and finally knighthood 2 See also editList of works by William Hogarth Marriage A la Mode 1 The Marriage Settlement Marriage A la Mode 2 The Tete a Tete Marriage A la Mode 4 The Toilette Marriage A la Mode 5 The Bagnio Marriage A la Mode 6 The Lady s DeathReferences edit Art Critic London Hogarth s Marriage A la Mode www william hogarth de Lichtenberg Georg 1970 1 In Wensinger Arthur S and W B Coley ed Hogarth on High Life January 1798 1 ed Middletown Connecticut Wesleyan University Press p 57 The Doctor s collection commenting as it does both historically and prophetically on his career might be interpreted as follows he began as a beard trimmer graduated to piss analyst barely skirting the gallows by virtue of his curative powers he grabbed for himself a doctor s hat and is now counting on a knighthood if he has not one alreadyExternal links edit nbsp Media related to Marriage a la mode 3 The Inspection at Wikimedia Commons National Gallery The Literary Encyclopedia Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Marriage A la Mode 3 The Inspection amp oldid 1157276236, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
