AFK. Reality paused. Virtual goggles on, train still moving. Relatable.

The painting depicts a fashionable private christening in the early 18th century, with the eyes of the clergyman, said to represent the eccentric 'orator' John Henley, on the attractive female godparent beside him rather than on the service. Henley was sometimes a member of the Church of England, and sometimes a dissenter. The male godparent is more concerned to look at himself in the mirror, the little girl is upsetting the christening bowl, and the mother is exhausted. It shows all the promise of Hogarth's incipient genius. Private baptisms came into fashion in the mid-17th century, as a way of getting round the then rather restrictive rules on public baptisms, which temporarily banned godparents and the use of the font. Prior to this date they tended not to be attended by the mother, who was meant to be at home lying in, but as you can see here, a private baptism allowed her to attend.