Dressing. The Toilette, called The countess's morning levee by Hogarth himself, is the fourth canvas in the series of six satirical paintings known as Marriage A-la-Mode painted by William Hogarth.
The old earl has died, so the son is now the new earl, and his wife is the countess. As was still the fashion at the time, the countess is holding a reception during her toilette, her grooming, in her bedroom, in imitation of this age-old custom of kings called a levee.
The fact that Hogarth ridiculed this convocation of people in the bedroom of a noble during their morning grooming proves that such a convocation in such an intimate room was increasingly viewed as inappropriate. The coronet over the bed and over the mirror in the silver toilet service on the dressing table indicate that the old earl has died and that the son is now Earl Squanderfield and his wife is now Countess Squanderfield.
The mirror is actually larger than those in surviving royal toilet services. The lawyer Silvertongue is lounging on the sofa, with his shoes off and his feet up. He clearly feels at home and in familiar surroundings.
Although there are other guests in the room, the countess has her back to them, totally absorbed by Silvertongue. Silvertongue is making an assignation with the countess, showing her a ticket to a masquerade and pointing to a painting of a masquerade on a screen behind the sofa. The intentio
The old earl has died, so the son is now the new earl, and his wife is the countess. As was still the fashion at the time, the countess is holding a reception during her toilette, her grooming, in her bedroom, in imitation of this age-old custom of kings called a levee.
The fact that Hogarth ridiculed this convocation of people in the bedroom of a noble during their morning grooming proves that such a convocation in such an intimate room was increasingly viewed as inappropriate. The coronet over the bed and over the mirror in the silver toilet service on the dressing table indicate that the old earl has died and that the son is now Earl Squanderfield and his wife is now Countess Squanderfield.
The mirror is actually larger than those in surviving royal toilet services. The lawyer Silvertongue is lounging on the sofa, with his shoes off and his feet up. He clearly feels at home and in familiar surroundings.
Although there are other guests in the room, the countess has her back to them, totally absorbed by Silvertongue. Silvertongue is making an assignation with the countess, showing her a ticket to a masquerade and pointing to a painting of a masquerade on a screen behind the sofa. The intentio
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