A Rake's Progress, Plate 6, Scene in a Gaming House

A Rake?s Progress, a series of eight etchings by English engraver and painter William Hogarth, was printed as social commentary for the 18th-century audience. The series focuses on the demise of Tom Rakewell, the heir of a prosperous merchant, who squanders his inheritance on an extravagant lifestyle. In the sixth plate of this series Hogarth makes clear that Tom Rakewell will never learn his lesson. He has returned to a lifestyle of corruption. Here, he is pictured once again engaged in a card game where he will inevitably squander the fortune of his new bride. His hope of returning to a comfortable life perishes with each bet.