Who painted The Affiliation (after William Hogarth)?

The Affiliation (after William Hogarth) was painted by John Collett in 1762.

Where can I see The Affiliation (after William Hogarth)?

The Affiliation (after William Hogarth) is held by Victoria and Albert Museum.

Artwork

The Affiliation (after William Hogarth)

The Affiliation (after William Hogarth) is an oil painting by John Collett. It dates from 1762 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

About this work

Overview

John Collett’s oil painting, The Affiliation (after William Hogarth), dates from around 1762 and is part of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s collection.

John Collett’s oil painting, The Affiliation (after William Hogarth), dates from around 1762 and is part of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s collection. The work portrays a bustling interior gathering, centred on a woman in a long green gown. Surrounding figures in contemporary attire occupy a room furnished with a table, chairs and a red curtain, creating a vivid snapshot of mid‑eighteenth‑century social life.

Subject & Meaning

The central female figure, distinguished by her green dress, appears to be engaged in conversation with the surrounding participants, suggesting a moment of informal sociability. The inclusion of assorted objects and the varied postures of the other figures convey a lively, communal atmosphere, reflecting the genre‑scene tradition that Hogarth popularised, wherein everyday interactions become the focus of visual narrative.

Technique & Style

Collett employs chiaroscuro to model forms and generate spatial depth, allowing light to fall on the principal figures while casting the periphery into softer shadow. The brushwork remains relatively smooth, characteristic of mid‑Georgian portraiture, and the colour palette balances warm reds and greens with more muted tones, reinforcing the interior’s intimate ambience.

History & Provenance

Created circa 1762, The Affiliation is a later reinterpretation of a composition originally associated with William Hogarth, indicating Collett’s engagement with Hogarth’s thematic and compositional vocabulary. The painting entered the Victoria and Albert Museum’s holdings in the early twentieth century, where it remains on display as an example of British genre painting that bridges Hogarth’s influence and the emerging styles of the period.