The Lady's Last Stake 1759

"The Lady's Last Stake" is a 1759 oil painting by William Hogarth, depicting a scene of a woman losing a bet to a gentleman. It captures the drama and tension of a gamble gone wrong, as evidenced by the woman's shocked expression and the gentleman's triumphant stance. The richly detailed setting, including a fireplace and a window overlooking a garden, suggests a luxurious environment that highlights the stakes involved in the game. This work exemplifies Hogarth's signature genre painting style known as "moralizing," a genre that aimed to criticize societal flaws through visual satire.