Marriage A-la-Mode: 2. The Tête à Tête

The Tête à Tête is the second canvas in the series of six satirical paintings known as Marriage A-la-Mode, painted by William Hogarth.

The painting is the sparsest in terms of characters present, with only 4: The exact details are not always settled upon (in particular, the time of the day is one of the most disputed questions in the entire series), but the primary implication is clear: The two are totally uninterested in each other, and the marriage and the household are rapidly becoming untenable.

Portrait of Francis Hayman by Sir Joshua Reynolds .