Marriage a-la-mode. Plate I

The Earl Squander and a city merchant arrange the marriage of their son and daughter in a grand sitting room. The Earl, whose coronet is stamped on all his possessions, unfolds a diagram of his illustrious family tree as the alderman focuses on the marriage contract and his payment. The extravagantly dressed young groom-to-be looks at his reflection in a glass while his future bride listens intently at the lawyer's soft words. Through the window is a view of a palatial house under construction, presumably for the new couple as the plans are labelled "A Plan of the New Building of the Rt. Honble..." The walls of the room are covered with paintings of Roman and Old Testament scenes as well as the screaming face of Medusa. In the foreground on the right, two dogs are chained together, one lying down but looking out the corner of his eyes at the viewer, the other looking off to the right