Judge — January 12, 1884 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains two cartoons mocking Anthony Comstock, the notorious anti-obscenity crusader (depicted as the stern man on the right). The upper cartoon shows classical nude statuary at the "Comstock Art Gallery"—figures with raised arms in artistic poses. The satire suggests that Comstock's aggressive censorship campaigns, which targeted "immoral" materials, would classify even legitimate fine art as obscene if he had authority over galleries. The lower cartoon shows Comstock at an art gallery with the caption "Sir, nothing to offend the eye"—implying his prudish standards were so extreme that even classical masterpieces would be considered offensive. The joke: Comstock's moral crusade was so zealous and absurd that it threatened to censor legitimate art and culture itself.