Judge — December 17, 1898 — page 16: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This six-panel comic strip satirizes the "gallant lover" trope popular in romantic literature. The narrative follows a couple on bicycles: panel 1 shows them riding together; panel 2 depicts the man gesturing dramatically toward the woman; panels 3-4 show them stopped, apparently discussing a mechanical problem; panel 5 shows the man sitting idle while the woman appears to work; panel 6 reveals the man smoking while the woman handles the bicycle repair. The satire mocks the contradiction between romantic idealization and practical reality—the "gallant" suitor performs chivalrous gestures but abandons his duties when actual work is required, leaving his companion to manage the mundane problem herself. It's a commentary on performative masculinity and gender expectations in the early bicycle era (late 1800s).