William Hogarth's Gin Lane is one of his
best-known works of engraved art. Along with its companion, Beer Street, Gin Lane addressed a
serious problem in mid-18th century England - the abuse of spirits (= strong alcoholic drinks such as whiskey and gin) by
the working classes and the poor. In the right foreground a skeletal
ballad singer has just died. His left hand still clutches his bottle. A drunken
woman is taking her snuff while her neglected baby falls to his death in
front of the Gin Royal Tavern. Behind the wall a man and his dog fight for a
bone. Further back, a man pawns his coat and saw and his wife her kitchen
tools for some more drinks. The pawn broker is properly named, "S.
Gripe" (= complaint, affliction). Both his comfortable home and rich
clothes stand in contrast to the devastation around. Only pawn brokers, coffin
makers and distillers profit in such a society.
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