A Rake’s Progress: The Gaming House
A rich man’s son, Tom Rakewell, has just gambled away a fortune in White’s Club in London. Kneeling, he prays for God’s help. Fire breaks out behind him, but men gamble away, unaware of impending danger. Hogarth devoted a series of eight paintings to Tom’s wasteful lifestyle, which he later issued in print. Incidentally, it ended badly for Tom: he was thrown into debtors’ prison and ultimately landed in a mental institution.