Strolling Actresses Dressing in a Barn 1738

William Hogarth's 1738 etching "Strolling Actresses Dressing in a Barn" depicts a chaotic scene of a traveling theatre company preparing for a performance in a ramshackle barn. The work is characteristic of Hogarth's "moral subject" paintings, which satirized the foibles of 18th-century English society. The composition is crowded with figures engaged in a variety of activities, from applying makeup to mending costumes, creating a sense of frenetic energy. Hogarth's masterful use of line and detail reveals a humorous and critical commentary on the lives of actors and the theatrical profession.