The decay of home-life among the ‘smart set’ (1899)

Samuel Ehrhart's artwork titled "The Decay of Home-Life Among the ‘Smart Set’" (1899) presents a satirical look at the social and domestic habits of the upper class at the turn of the 20th century. Rendered in a vibrant, comical style, this illustration portrays multiple vignettes that amalgamate into a scathing critique of high society's drift away from traditional family values.The painting is arranged as a series of scenes each depicting various social activities favoured by the elite. The upper left corner illustrates a gentry engaging in a ‘Coaching in the Highlands’, followed by an elaborate scene of ‘Kow-towing to Royalty’, where members of the social elite display their obsession with aristocracy. Moving across the canvas, we witness the leisure activities such as ‘All Day on the Golf-Links’ to ‘Cruising in the Mediterranean’ and the lively risk-taking ‘Being “Sporty” at Monte Carlo’.Central to this composition is a metaphorical portrayal of the `Society Dame' as a literal whirlwind, embodying chaos and disarray, which seems to sweep up all in her path into the social pursuits. Below this image, the scene of a family seemingly overjoyed in chasing after the dame underlines the allure and addictive pull of social ambitions on familial bonds.Further exploring this theme, the painting at the bottom right titled ‘What it Leads To’ depicts a dour outcome, with elderly gentry neglected in draughty corners of relief homes, highlighting their ultimate fate when sacrificed at the altar of social ambitions and neglect of family unity.