Oil paint on canvas
Tate Collection
Works with images
General Collection
Art Fund
Collection
<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/marcellus-laroon-the-younger-329" aria-label="More by Marcellus Laroon the Younger" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">Marcellus Laroon the Younger</a>
Interior with Figures
Presented by Julian Lousada through the Art Fund 1928
adults
bottle
chair
clothing and personal items
dining room
domestic
domestic
drinking
eating and drinking
fine arts and music
furnishings
group
groups
interiors
leisure and pastimes
man
objects
painting
people
pipe
recreational activities
servant
smoking
table
vessels and containers
woman
work and occupations
<p>Laroon, the son of the painter of the same name, trained as an artist but served in the Army, from which he retired in 1723/4. From then on he apparently turned to painting for pleasure, producing conversation pieces, musical assemblies and stage scenes, all devoid of the moralising content of Hogarth. It is not clear whether this polite private gathering is an actual scene, or an imaginary one. Whatever its status, the genteel but merry middle class society it depicts, drinking wine and smoking tobacco pipes, is a fair reflection of Laroon's own inclinations and level in society. Of a convivial nature, his friends were drawn largely from London's artistic, theatrical and musical community.</p><p><em>Gallery label, September 2004</em></p>
painting oil paint canvas
4 July 2005 – 30 July 2006
2006-07-30
4 July 2005 – 30 July 2006
2006-07-30
2005-07-04
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2005-07-04
Hogarth and the Art of Conversation
Collection based display
Interior with Figures
support: 457 × 385 mm
frame: 581 × 517 × 85 mm
Presented by Julian Lousada through the <a href="/search?gid=999999968" data-gtm-name="tombstone_link_bequest" data-gtm-destination="list-page--search-results">Art Fund</a> 1928
<p>Laroon, the son of the painter of the same name,  trained as an artist but served in the Army, from  which he retired in 1723/4. From then on he  apparently turned to <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/p/painting" title="Glossary definition for 'Painting'"><span>painting</span></a> for pleasure,  producing <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/c/conversation-piece" title="Glossary definition for 'Conversation piece'"><span>conversation pieces</span></a>, musical assemblies  and stage scenes, all devoid of the moralising  content of Hogarth. It is not clear whether this  polite private gathering is an actual scene, or an  imaginary one. Whatever its status, the genteel  but merry middle class society it depicts,  drinking wine and smoking tobacco pipes, is a fair  reflection of Laroon's own inclinations and level  in society. Of a convivial nature, his friends  were drawn largely from London's artistic,  theatrical and musical community.</p>
Display caption
2004-09-03T00:00:00
display-caption
DISPLAY_CAPTION
<p><a class="acno-pop" data-gtm-destination="page--artwork" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/laroon-interior-with-figures-n04420" title="View the details of this artwork"><span>N04420</span></a> <b>Interior with Figures</b> <i>c.</i>1750
<br/></p>
<p>Oil on canvas 457×385 (18×15 1/4)
<br/>Presented by Julian Lousada through the National Art-Collections Fund 1928
<br/>PROVENANCE
<br/>...; L.H. McCormick, sold Christie's 1 December 1922 (76 as ‘A Merry Party, a group of four ladies and gentlemen round a table’) bt Gordon; ...; Julian Lousada, by whom presented to the Tate Gallery
<br/>EXHIBITED
<br/>Aldeburgh and Tate Gallery 1967 (15)
<br/>LITERATURE
<br/>NACF <i>Report 1928</i>, 1929, repr. facing p.37; Antal 1962, p.100, pl.51a; Raines 1966, p.118, no.22, pl.45. Also repr.: Sacheverell Sitwell, <i>Narrative Pictures</i>, 1937, pl.43
<br/></p>
<p>Raines (1966, p.80) notes that with certain exceptions ‘it is probably correct to regard the conversations as largely <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/f/fancy-picture" title="Glossary definition for 'Fancy Picture'"><span>fancy pictures</span></a> - in which some figures may be <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/p/portrait" title="Glossary definition for 'Portrait'"><span>portraits</span></a> and some architectural details may be real’. If any of the figures in no.131 are portraits, their identity has been lost. Their setting suggests that this is middle-class company, either at home or in the private parlour of an inn. Details of costume, décor and furnishings certainly indicate a much less affluent way of life than Laroon represents in, for instance, ‘A Dinner Party’, ‘A Musical Conversation’ or ‘A Musical Assembly’ (Raines 1966, no.1, pl.5; no.28, pl.54; no.10, pl.3), but a more comfortable and private one than in his scenes of tavern life (e.g. no.5, pl.35; no.9, pl.52).
<br/>
<br/>As so often with Laroon, the mood and the individuals' relationship to each other are ambiguous, even disquieting. The women appear to be in better spirits than the men, who may be trying to stare down some ill fortune. Raines identifies one of the women as a bawd, though there seems little foundation for this. Antal's comparison of the picture with the ‘Tavern Scene’ in Hogarth's ‘The Rake's Progress’ seems far-fetched.</p>
<p>
<br/><b>Published in:</b>
<br/>Elizabeth Einberg and Judy Egerton, <i>The Age of Hogarth: British Painters Born 1675-1709</i>, Tate Gallery Collections, II, London 1988
<br/></p>

Catalogue entry
2004-10-06T00:00:00
catalogue-entry
CATALOGUE_ENTRY
adults bottle chair clothing and personal items dining room domestic domestic drinking eating and drinking fine arts and music furnishings group groups interiors leisure and pastimes man objects painting people pipe recreational activities servant smoking table vessels and containers woman work and occupations