Judge — May 22, 1886 — page 16: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical illustration critiques social dynamics among unmarried women ("wallflowers"—those who sat out dances). The main image shows a woman in an elaborate, decorated dress with an exaggerated facial expression displaying distress or suffering. Below her, another figure appears to be consoling or attending to her. The caption's wordplay—"pity is akin to love"—suggests the cartoon's satirical point: that women might deliberately cultivate an appearance of suffering or pitifulness to attract male sympathy and romantic attention. The elaborate costume and theatrical presentation mock this manipulative strategy. The subtitle "A Hint to Wallflowers" directly addresses unmarried women excluded from social participation, implying they could use false displays of distress as a tactic for gaining male notice. It's a somewhat cynical commentary on courtship rituals and gender relations of the period.