The Last Litter 1803

George Morland produced this print, The Last Litter, in England at the close of the 18th century, a time of great social and economic upheaval. It shows a rural scene, seemingly far removed from urban life, with a sow and her piglets being tended by a country family. But pastoral idylls like these, so popular at the time, served a very real social purpose. The gentry who commissioned and collected such images were anxious to maintain a hierarchical social order against a rising middle class, and the threat of revolution in the air following events in France. Representations of a contented and productive peasantry assured the establishment of a stable and timeless social structure, one in which everyone knew their place. Prints such as these, widely disseminated and enjoyed, reinforced the image of a benevolent and natural social hierarchy in the face of rapid change. By studying the market for prints, the audience they were made for, and the other images they were displayed alongside, we can begin to unpack the political role of art.