This scene by Hogarth is probably set in Bethlem Hospital, nicknamed Bedlam. The hospital was opened in London in 1247 and was the first institution to be dedicated to the mentally ill. During the 18th century, the causes of mental illness were not well understood. Some wealthy people kept the mentally handicapped or the mentally ill as objects of entertainment. People paid to visit Bedlam to be amused by the unruly behaviour of the patients. The two elegant young women in this image have come to view the inmates.
