William Hogarth - Tavern scene (scene three of "A rake's progress")

• Title: Tavern scene (scene three of "A rake's progress") (Gemäldefolge- Der Lebensweg eines Wüstlings)
• Artist: William Hogarth (1697-1764)
• Date: c.1732-36
• Medium: oil on canvas
• Dimensions: 63 x 75 cm

This painting is the third painting in William Hogarth’s series depicting the moral decline of Tom Rakewell, a young man who squanders his fortune on a life of debauchery and excess. Set in a lavish and chaotic interior, the scene captures a wild and raucous party attended by Tom and his dissolute companions.

At the center of the composition, Tom is depicted in a state of drunken revelry, surrounded by a motley crew of gamblers, prostitutes, and other disreputable characters. The room is littered with the trappings of excess—empty bottles, discarded cards, and scattered coins—indicating the hedonistic indulgence that has consumed Tom’s life.

The scene is filled with a sense of moral decay and moral ambiguity intended for Hogarth to offer a critique of the corrosive effects of greed, lust, and excess on the human soul.