Judge, 1906-09-08 · page 16 of 16
Judge — September 8, 1906 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a humorous six-panel comic strip about "Nervy Nat," a persistent character who inserts himself into a French artist's portrait-painting session. The artist (identified by French phrases like "Ze artiste-peintre") is attempting to paint a cow, but Nat keeps offering unsolicited advice and suggestions—requesting the artist add him to the canvas, commenting on the composition, and generally disrupting the work while claiming he's "helping." The satire targets two things: American tourists' tendency to intrude with confidence despite lacking expertise, and the pretentiousness of artistic circles. Nat speaks in exaggerated French phrases while giving philistine suggestions ("eau de cologne, pâté de foie gras"). The joke culminates when the frustrated artist finally finishes and Nat—perhaps sensing he's worn out his welcome—abruptly declares he'll "go into some other line of business" and depart to the "asphalt." The humor relies on Nat's oblivious persistence and the artist's increasingly exasperated reactions.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
1. Ze anriste-reinTRe—" Mon ami, s it zat you will ze lady-cow around ze neck grasp? She is fidgety, and | must paint her—yes!"" Nerv Nat—" Did you those spots on her quarter-deck paint—no? Of course not. It is that | have a few minutes that are at your disposal, and it also {s that I will hold that cow for those minutes. search for ze verte emeraude. Nervy Nat—"Oh, thanks! I really don't care to rest—it Is really quite diverting. You see, | rest so much of the time. Don't you think & Ilttle more action, more movement, would help the picture? 1 love pictures in which there Is something doing "—— S. Ze antiste-peintne: chien!" .,_Nexvy Nat—"To say nothing of eau de cologne, pité de fols gras, Vive le rol! and Are de Triomphe! Your dear trends who'know fo ing about painting, will say, ‘Oh, me, oh, my! That cow seems to be coming right out of the picture.’ "” b 2. Ze antiste-reintre—" Ah, crest ga! Now I can paint—yes!™ Nervy Nat—" My dear sir, I can't tell you; I'm no judge of the art, Now, if I'm presumptuous, don't hesitate to say so: but wouldn't it add Interest to your canvas if you—er—kinder slipped me in next to the—er— animal? Some of my very good friends have been kind enough to call me handsome "—— “Bet will be feenish quite soon. Hold tight, mon ami!" Nervy Nat—" Never in your life did you give utterance to words more sopping wet with truth—It will soon be finished! And I have a most persistent presentiment that it will be a very complete job at that. may as well start on a new picture "— 6. Nervy Nat—" Say, mister man, I'd take this as a personal hun go Into some other line of business. As for me, the crowded haunts of men and the level, if barren, asphalt _I have spoken!" ComverssT 108 BY JUDGE COMPANY PUBLIBHERS, 228 FOURTH AYE, MEW YORK comicbooks.com