Judge, 1905-12-16 · page 28 of 48
Judge — December 16, 1905 — page 28: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This illustration satirizes romantic couples' shallow conversation habits across seasons. The artwork shows a man and woman with Cupid appearing in three panels representing spring, summer, and winter. The satire's point: regardless of the season's romantic atmosphere—whether "dreamy, languorous days of spring," summer's mystical beauty, or winter's bleakness—the couple only discusses "the weather" and "mere platitudes." Cupid "smiling" in the final panel suggests ironic amusement at lovers' inability to engage meaningfully, despite having perfect romantic conditions. The joke targets the banality of courtship conversations among the era's genteel classes, implying that even Cupid's magic cannot overcome human dullness. This reflects common Judge-magazine humor mocking Victorian social conventions and the predictability of romance.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
t ee 8 a CUPID AND THE SEASONS. [N dreamy, languorous days of spring When summer waved her mystic wand, ‘Then wintry winds blew desolate. They two walked forth together Transfiguring field and woods, Again, the time beguiling, Beyond the smiling hill’s green rim They walked again the hill beyond ‘They passed beyond the bleak bill's rim, ‘And talked about—the weather. And talked—mere platitudes. ‘And there stood Cupid smiling. COPMRIENT 1905 BY JUOGE COMPANY PUBLISMERS, 226 FOURTH AVE. NEWYORK. ‘Sacher ® Witbeins Lite & Pig Co. NewYors } . comicbooks.com