Beggar's Opera, Act III

William Blake after William Hogarth

National Gallery of Art

The image shows a room with stone walls, potentially a courtroom or meeting hall. In the foreground, figures are depicted standing and seated. Two men are engaged with seated women. One man wears a tricorn hat and formal coat, the other wears a similar outfit without a hat and a wig. The women wear dresses typical of the 18th century. On the left, a group of men in period attire observes the scene. On the right, more men are gathered behind a draped table. In the background, high walls with barred windows are visible. An elaborate frieze and banner stretch across the ceiling. Statues or figures are positioned in niches along the walls.