End to unfaithful marriage

There have always been a bunch of marriage stories just as shocking as trashy soap operas. Eighteen-century British painter William Hogarth (1697–1764) gained popularity thanks to “Marriage A-la-Mode,” a series of six paintings that describe marital culture among the upper class. “The Tête à Tête” is the series’ second picture released in 1743.

An upper-class newlywed couple depicted on the canvas makes us wonder what happened overnight because the room where they are seated is in a mess although elegantly decorated with artworks and high-end furniture. The couple’s servants, looking taken aback with their dozy eyes, clean the room probably in the morning. Spending last night with his affair partner, the husband appears exhausted. Sensing that his male owner has an affair, their puppy takes a sniff of a woman’s hat tucked in his jacket pocket to drop hints. However, his wife looks uninterested. Playing cards overnight at a party, she also slept with other man, leaving her relaxed with her legs spread. Why did the couple get married although they do not love each other? The answer lies in the first picture of the series. Born into a noble family, the man finds himself standing just a few steps away from the brink of bankruptcy after years of extravagance and reckless investment. The woman is the daughter of a wealthy merchant who only wishes to gain a better social status through marriage. She pays a great deal of dowry, becoming part of the nobility, while the husband saves himself from drowning in debt. To put it simply, they agree to a marriage of convenience.

What happens at the end to this couple? The following picture vividly describes the tragic drama of their unfaithful marriage. The husband, who contracts syphilis due to his extramarital relationships, happens to find his wife staying with other man, who later kills him. The wife, after her lover is sentenced to death, commits suicide. It is an unsurprising end to a marriage of convenience driven solely by greed for money and upward mobility not by love and faith. Indeed, the artist sends a clear message that only a messy ending follows.