Marriage A-la-Mode: 1. The Marriage Settlement

Hogarth's Marriage A-la-Mode: 1. The Marriage Settlement depicts the mercenary contract uniting a bankrupt earl's son with a rich alderman's daughter — the parents negotiating over money and titles while the couple sit ignored, already engaged with others. The Earl of Squanderfield points to his family tree while the gout-ridden old man demonstrates his vulnerability; the young Viscount Squanderfield admires himself in a mirror while the girl listens to the lawyer Silvertongue who will become her lover. The canvas introduces six characters whose fates over the following five paintings constitute Hogarth's most complete serial narrative.

Hogarth renders the lawyers' office with meticulous detail—the earl's family tree, the merchant's pile of coins, the indifferent couple. Every object serves the narrative, from the chained dogs symbolizing the forced marriage to the earl's bandaged foot indicating his gout and self-indulgence.