A Tête à Tête by William Hogarth

A Tête à Tête, 1743, Rococo, oil on canvas

A Tête à Tête is an oil painting from the collection, Marriage à la Mode, by William Hogarth. Marriage à la Mode translates to “modern marriage” or “marriage of the day.” It is part of the rococo and satire art movement. The rococo art movement focused on the lives of aristocracy and usually uses lighter colors. The satire art movement refers to art that is sarcastic and usually making fun of someone. Marriage à la Mode is made up of six paintings and A Tête à Tête is the second painting in the collection that tells the story of the Squanderfields. The Squanderfields are a fictional family who have squandered their aristocratic wealth, suggested by their name. Hogarth’s art was prompted by the concern during the 18th century that marriages were only arranged for economic benefit and that the rich were wasting their money. 

The first painting in Marriage à la Mode depicts the marriage settlement and A Tête à Tête shows the state of the couple’s marriage. In the story, Lord Squanderfield has his son marry the daughter of a wealthy merchant, so the Squanderfields can get wealthier. On the other hand, the merchant’s family gets a title, reflecting how the marriage itself benefits both families. In A Tête à Tête, the couple is shown sitting in their living room, uninterested in each other. Both their house and the couple look like messes, as the man has just visited a brothel and the woman has just had an affair. Their dog has sniffed a woman’s nightcap out of the man’s jacket and he had a fight with someone, which is shown with his sword that is laid out on the ground. The man looks tired and upset. In contrast, the woman looks content while she is playing cards on the table. The butler behind her is carrying her gambling losses out and it is clear that the woman has just had an affair with her violin teacher because a chair is knocked over next to a violin. 

In his paintings, Hogarth uses an incredible amount of detail that has the ability to tell stories, just from visuals.