Marriage A-La-Mode: 1, The Marriage Settlement

In this first painting of Hogarth's Marriage A-La-Mode satirical series, Hogarth critiques the transactional nature of aristocratic marriage through dense layers of symbolism. The figures are positioned like chess pieces in a business deal to expose the moral hollowness beneath wealth and title. This is a painting that includes several people. The painting is dark, and the tone is melancholy. There is a bride and groom, with several people talking and engaging with them. The bride looks dismal while the groom is preoccupied with his reflection, disregarding her. There is a man in the foreground with his shoe off and a lawyer speaking into the bride’s ear.