The Road to Ruin 2/5: Ascot

William Powell Frith's series 'The Road to Ruin' was inspired by his visit in 1869 to the racecourse at Ascot, so it is fitting that this should be the setting for the second plate in his series.

The protagonist of 'The Road to Ruin' was seen in the preceding image gambling with friends in his student rooms at college. Here, he is depicted at the raceground with a betting book in hand and binoculars, taking bets from the men surging forward on the left. By contrast, an orderly group of women can be seen on the right.

The five etchings in the series were based on paintings Frith exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1878. Following in the genre established by William Hogarth in the 18th century, Frith invested his images with clear moral messages, leading his pictures to be described by one contemporary as 'sermons written in paint'.

The perils of gambling are clearly alluded to here. It makes the men shown on the left desperate and disorderly. Despite his penchant for gambling and risk-taking, the protagonist of 'The Road to Ruin' is not in a particularly bad position. This is all about to change, however, as the next print in the series makes clear.