William Hogarth - «A Country Inn-Yard»

A Country Inn-Yard (HD download)

The scene in this Plate represents an Election Procession in the yard of "The old Angel Inn, kept by Tom Bates from London;" and some pains have been taken to ascertain the particular Inn delineated, but without success, so many of the public-houses between Whitechapel and Chelmsford, having been altered, or totally re-built: but it was probably the predecessor of the present "Angel" at Ilford.

In the earliest impressions, a flag behind the wheel of the coach is without an inscription, on which, in the second state, was written "No old Baby," the cry used by the opponents of the Honourable John Child Tylney (then Viscount Castlemain, afterwards Earl Tylney), when he stood as a Candidate for the County of Essex, against Sir Robert Abdy and Mr. Bramstone. Those words in the present state of the Plate are omitted, and the flag obliterated. The figure still carries a horn-book and a rattle in its hands.

At the Election, a man was placed on a bulk with an infant in his arms; and exclaimed, as he whipt the child, "What, you little Child, must you be a Member?" In this disputed Election, it appeared from the Register-book of the Parish where Lord Castlemain was born, that he was but 20 vears of age. The family name was changed from Child to Tylney by an Act of Parliament in 1755.

The bustle and consequence of the Landlady in the bar (Mrs. Bates) are well contrasted by the obsequiousness of her husband, who seems to be vouching for the moderation of every Item in his bill; asseverations which do not appear to carry conviction to the mind of the paymaster. A fat lady is forcing her way into the coach, while a fellow-traveller holds her dram bottle. Opposite to the latter, a rich old fellow (who has come part of his way in a post-chaise) disregards the application of the hump-backed Postillion for the accustomed fee. The old dame, in the basket behind, enjoys her pipe of Virginia with great complacency. On the roof of the vehicle are seated an English sailor and a French lacquey, whose countenances afford a good contrast of the manners of the two Nations. The noise and confusion usually incident to Country Inn-yards are much increased by the noisy fellow at the window, who is raising some dulcet notes on his French horn, while the Landlady rings in vain for her Chambermaid, whom a fellow is kissing in the passage. And in the back-ground the Election Procession is about to set out.

Pour citer cette ressource :

William Hogarth - A Country Inn-Yard, La Clé des Langues [en ligne], Lyon, ENS de LYON/DGESCO (ISSN 2107-7029), mai 2013. Consulté le 22/11/2024. URL: https://cle.ens-lyon.fr/anglais/arts/peinture/william-hogarth-a-country-inn-yard