The twelfth drawing in a series of twelve that follow a tradition of producing a series on modern morals, a tradition established earlier in the 18th century by artists such as William Hogarth. In this series, twin brothers are bestowed an equal fortune. One brother, Edward, husbands his wealth and on his death, passes on his fortune; whilst the other brother, Charles, squanders his, leaving his family destitute and In this twelfth drawing, Charles is in a coffin in his parlor. His wife cries into her handkerchief as two men with looks of pity point to the long sheet of paper with his list of debts. Her two children cling to her with fear and sadness. Two other men go about the room putting tags on the urns and other furnishings in preparation for their sale. The pistol on the sofa suggests Charles's suicide
Description:
Title from pencil notation below title., Signed "Dodd" in lower left and numbered '12' in ink in the upper right., Date range based on artist's active dates., and For further information, consult library staff.
