Sex, crime and gin
A Gin Shop, Thomas Rowlandson, c.1809, Watercolour
Drink in satire can be seen variously to console the poor, fuel aggressive actions and bloat the drinker: a merry leisure or insidious influence.
Hogarth's 'Gin Lane', is one of the most influential London satires and most emulated by modern and contemporary cartoonists. It can be seen in the exhibition.
In the main watercolour above Thomas Rowlandson depicts the interior of a London gin shop. Drinking cheap spirits was thought to be one of the worst evils of early eighteenth century life.
Although the 1751 Act imposed a substantial duty on spirits and forbade its sales by distillers, chandlers and grocers, it continued to be popular.