The Laughing Audience, William Hogarth, between 1733 and 1737

An audience of men and women in a theatre pit, all but one man laughing uproariously; above them in a box, two gentleman ignore the stage in favour of an orange girl and another young woman who takes a pinch of snuff; another orange girl reaches from the pit to tug at the sleeve of one of the gentlemen; to left three musicians, protected from the audience by a row of spikes. 1733; this state issued c. 1736/7 etching. Date: between 1733 and 1737. Dimensions: Height: 187 mm; Width: 169 mm. Medium: paper. Collection: British Museum. The Laughing Audience (BM 1868,0822.1514)