Four O'Clock in Town 1788

"Four O'Clock in Town," a satirical watercolor by Thomas Rowlandson (1756–1827), is a humorous depiction of a scene of debauchery in 18th-century London. The artwork portrays a man, likely a gentleman of leisure, sprawled on a chair in a state of exhaustion while a woman attempts to remove his boot. Meanwhile, another woman lies in bed, suggesting that the scene takes place after a night of revelry. Rowlandson was known for his satirical drawings that captured the social and moral foibles of his time. This work, typical of his style, is a humorous commentary on the excesses of the English upper class during the Georgian period.