In the third installment of Hogarth’s series A Rake’s Progress, Hogarth uses the act of Tom’s watch being stolen as a signifier of the rake’s imminent demise. Tom is seen cuddling with a prostitute whom he hired and appears to be enjoying his time. Unbeknownst to him, this prostitute stealthly took his watch earlier and is depicted handing it over to her accomplice, another one of Tom’s hired prostitutes. Hogarth intended for his viewers to see the irony behind this situation as two people who Tom originally hired to pleasure him, end up doing the exact opposite by stealing his watch. The irony here is meant to portray a deeper message in that along with Tom’s newfound power and wealth, there will be people who will try to exploit it. Additionally,
