A Valentine's Day Post:
Exploring the Risque Rococo Art of William Hogarth
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, I ran across two old friends at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles. No, not “people friends”, but old artwork friends.
When I first saw them, one painting hung in the Getty Museum and the other was on loan at the Huntington Library, and I was glad to see them together again in all their glory just in time for the most romantic day of the year. These beloved works of art are, Before and After by 18th century English artist, William Hogarth.
The paintings, their related French Rococo influences, and the scandalous love-play they portray, are the perfect subject to explore in this Valentine’s Day post. Who doesn’t love the topic of courtship, illicit love affairs and sex in art?
When I first saw them, one painting hung in the Getty Museum and the other was on loan at the Huntington Library, and I was glad to see them together again in all their glory just in time for the most romantic day of the year. These beloved works of art are, Before and After by 18th century English artist, William Hogarth.
The paintings, their related French Rococo influences, and the scandalous love-play they portray, are the perfect subject to explore in this Valentine’s Day post. Who doesn’t love the topic of courtship, illicit love affairs and sex in art?
According to the notebooks of Vertue, an engraver who wrote a history of English engraving in the
18th century, William Hogarth
took up oil painting early in 1726.
Before and After were created in 1730, early in his development as a
painter. He painted two versions near
the same point in time; one pair set outdoors (Fetes Galantes) and one pair set indoors. The indoor paintings (Tableaux de Mode) are the ones hanging in the Getty Museum.
The paintings are small, about 39 x 33 centimeters each and the subject matter is a seduction. It’s important to look at both versions in order to truly understand the Getty Museum’s Before and After paintings.
These types of scandalous little pictures are products of Hogarth’s various attempts to obtain commissions from members of the nobility.
In his own time, Hogarth was regarded principally as a great satirist whose prints from paintings like Marriage a la Mode were widely consumed and reflected the social and political life of his contemporaries.
The aristocrats however, didn’t favor Hogarth’s moralistic cycles. They preferred subjects more interesting and amusing. These commissions, particularly in the early 1730's such as Before and After, included subjects of indecent or dissolute character, since these works were to be seen by only a very select public.
In his own time, Hogarth was regarded principally as a great satirist whose prints from paintings like Marriage a la Mode were widely consumed and reflected the social and political life of his contemporaries.
The aristocrats however, didn’t favor Hogarth’s moralistic cycles. They preferred subjects more interesting and amusing. These commissions, particularly in the early 1730's such as Before and After, included subjects of indecent or dissolute character, since these works were to be seen by only a very select public.
Above: Marriage a la Mode by William Hogarth c. 1743-1745 (photo credit - friendsofart.net)
Venetian Rococo painters such as Jacopo Amigoni and Sebastiano Ricci, were early influences upon Hogarth as they were favorite painters of the English aristocracy. Both show some similarities with Hogarth in their general features, poses and manner of painting, particularly in their small painterly pictures and sketches. It was not until the 1740’s, that Hogarth developed his style into the unique rococo style as it became popular in England.
Above: Bacchanal in Honor of Pan by Sebastiano Ricci (photo credit - 18thcentury.tumblr.com)
Above: Flora and Zephyr by Jacopo Amigoni (photo credit - sothebys.com)
Above - Two Court Ladies Out Shooting with Their Retinue by Jacopo Amigoni 18th cent. (photo credit - easeyart.com)
His risqué conversation pieces (my favorites!) show influence from French Rococo painters such as Watteau, Phillipe Mercier and Jean Francois de Troy, who introduced the “Fetes Gallantes” and “Tableaux de Mode” genres to England.
Watteau, who introduced the Fetes Galantes to England, painted tableaux consisting of themes of festive courtship, portraying elegant social graces and evoking tender romance. The scenes are always outdoors with a musical feeling of grace and harmony. This rhythmic quality may be caused by the often repeated figures whose expression, gesture and attitude was used to convey meaning.
Watteau, who introduced the Fetes Galantes to England, painted tableaux consisting of themes of festive courtship, portraying elegant social graces and evoking tender romance. The scenes are always outdoors with a musical feeling of grace and harmony. This rhythmic quality may be caused by the often repeated figures whose expression, gesture and attitude was used to convey meaning.
Above: Fete Champetre by Antione Watteau c. 1718-1721 (photo credit - commons.wikimedia.org)
Above: Les Fetes Venitiennes by Antione Wattea 1718-1719
Above: La Surprise by Antione Watteau c. 1718
Mercier was the artist chiefly responsible for importing the Fete Galante into England and was an important link between Watteau and Hogarth. He transformed this French painting genre into the eighteenth century English conversation piece. His style was mid-way between the two schools; a compound of the formal French manner and English simplicity.
Above: The Sense of Smell by Phillipe Mercier c. 1744-147 (photo credit - wikimedia commons)
Jean Francois de Troy, another important French influence upon Hogarth is best known for his scenes of fashionable life executed in the true French Rococo style. The Tableaux de Mode, as this genre is called, grew out of the 17th century Dutch genre paintings by masters such as Jan Steen, who observed daily life in his paintings with sharp humor and observation.
In his Tableaux de Mode, de Troy portrays his subjects as relaxed in a variety of poses, some studied, some casual. This informality and relaxation of social etiquette was a feature of eighteenth century life.
In his Tableaux de Mode, de Troy portrays his subjects as relaxed in a variety of poses, some studied, some casual. This informality and relaxation of social etiquette was a feature of eighteenth century life.
Above: The Reading of Moliere by Jean Francois de Troy 1728 (photo credit - amolenuvolette.it)
Love-making was a favorite subject of de Troy and it is in this particular subject matter that one can see the gulf separating French and English painting styles and the transition between them. The French Rococo rule was that however erotic the subject, a veneer of gracefulness was always requisite.
Above: The Garter by Jean Francois de Troy 1735 (photo credit - wikigallery.org)
De Troy takes Watteau’s ethereal, dreamlike, lyrical world and translates it in a highly realistic manner but retains the pronounced theatrical air to the poses and gestures of the figures and the settings are elegantly staged with cleverly revealing props and symbolism.
Above: The Alarm by Jean Francois de Troy 1723 (photo credit - newtechnology1.blogspot.com)
Above: Declaration of Love by Jean Francois de Troy 1731 (photo credit - joedonaphy65.blogspot.com)
Hogarth references the Fete Galante genre style in the “outdoor version” of Before and After, and the Tableaux de Mode genre in the "indoor version", but the difference between the French Rococo and Hogarth’s English Rococo style is evident.
Even though Before and After were aristocratic types of pictures, the features are surprisingly not at all elegant by continental standards. This is in keeping with the general levelling down within the English society itself at that time. The paintings present scenes of moral cause and effect and take a much less elegant view of human nature.
Even though Before and After were aristocratic types of pictures, the features are surprisingly not at all elegant by continental standards. This is in keeping with the general levelling down within the English society itself at that time. The paintings present scenes of moral cause and effect and take a much less elegant view of human nature.
It is here that we can finally take a close look at both versions of William Hogarth’s Before and After. In both the outdoor and the indoor versions, the unity of the two pictures is their contrast. In general, the composition is a sequence from the left, through a serpentine path to the right and with both figures leaning with their torso tilted to your right in Before and then the right figure leaning to your left in After. This creates a complementary balance between the two paintings.
In the outdoor version Hogarth reinforces contrast by balancing the colors in both pictures but rearranging their relative proportions. The dominant red of the girl’s skirt in Before is displaced in After onto the flushed faces of the boy and girl. The girl’s skirt is now reduced to a crescent over her white petticoats and the pink of her thighs. The blue of her long stockings in After replaces the blue of the boy’s suit in Before which is now obscured by his rumpled linen.
The painting is essentially in the dreamy pastoral style but the realistic depiction of the aftermath of the encounter undermines the fanciful effect. The underlying theme is the contrast between illusion and reality, comparing the world of erotic delight offered by the suitor, to the obviously less than satisfying reality and bewilderment which follows. Hogarth relies upon expression to tell the story.
As you can see, the amorous play between the two is reminiscent of poses from Watteau, but where in French Rococo the veneer of gracefulness was always requisite, it is not at all present here.
As you can see, the amorous play between the two is reminiscent of poses from Watteau, but where in French Rococo the veneer of gracefulness was always requisite, it is not at all present here.
Now looking at the indoor version of Before and After, one can see that expression continues to play an important role. In the Before scene, the woman’s gesture is violent as she pushes away the head of the man attempting to pull off her dress. This is in no way the playful resistance of the women in any of the French works by de Troy or Watteau, though they are basically in a similar pose.
In the After picture, the girl’s face conveys the impression that the lovemaking was over too soon. Disenchantment is sensed and the woman appears to be trying to console the man. The disruptiveness of sex plays an important part in Hogarth’s narratives and the artist hints at the sorrow that can occur after the romantic encounter.
Hogarth’s painterly style, derived from the Venetian painters, dominates a neutral background canvas, but the focus and faces of the characters approach a high finish. In After, using this formula, the closed perspective of the room is made more mysterious.
These two indoor paintings are much more “readable” than the outdoor version because Hogarth employed the use of props which he may have seen in de Troy’s paintings. Here again, ordinary objects are given a symbolic character.
Hogarth uses intense color to draw the eye to the symbolic objects. In Before, the hand of the girl and the hair of the dog, light in color, draw the eye to the falling table and open drawer. The salmon hat in After draws the eye to the broken mirror.
Hogarth uses intense color to draw the eye to the symbolic objects. In Before, the hand of the girl and the hair of the dog, light in color, draw the eye to the falling table and open drawer. The salmon hat in After draws the eye to the broken mirror.
Though Hogarth’s fame both in England and in Europe was mostly due to his engravings and can be attributed to his satire and social commentary, his paintings illustrate that one of the great secrets of his work is his mastery of color.
In Before, the girl being seduced reaches out to grasp a table for support but it tips over. In After, the table is on its side and the mirror lies smashed symbolizing her virtue. Inscriptions are visible on papers in the woman’s dresser drawer in Before, discernable as “will agree she did not die a maid”.
The dog in Before is alert and jumping, but in After is shown exhausted emphasizing the aftermath of sexual encounter.
From the formal viewpoint, judged by French standards, the elegant Rococo pattern of lines in both paintings is almost cancelled out by the frank, direct presentation. Hogarth’s treatment is a transcript of direct experience. His eye is the camera lens and this disastrous episode is seen and commented upon.
Both versions of Before and After are fine examples of the frank English Rococo style as opposed to its French source and Hogarth’s ingenious use of expression, iconography and color to tell the tale of seduction. But MY favorite paintings of these two pairings will remain the clever indoor versions hanging in the Getty Museum in Los Angeles!