A Rake's Progress, Plate 2 1795 - 1805

Dent created this print, "A Rake's Progress, Plate 2," sometime around 1800, and it presents a scene of a young man's descent into moral decay. The setting and the figures' costumes situate us firmly within the social world of late 18th-century England. Here, the image tells a story of wealth and privilege gone awry. A young man, presumably the "rake," is surrounded by figures who enable his dissolute lifestyle, be it musicians, fencing instructors, or onlookers. The scene is set indoors, perhaps a lavish private residence, suggesting the social spaces where such behaviors occur. What is striking is the use of imagery to comment on social structures of the time; we get a sense of the artist's commentary on social decay, and one wonders what motivated the artist to create this. Historians might consider the social satire and moralizing prints that were popular at this time and the cultural institutions that were developing which may have supported or condemned such behaviors. The meaning of this work is contingent on its social and institutional context.