Judge — April 17, 1915 — page 16: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a satirical illustration by James Montgomery Flagg titled "Seeing New York." The central figure is a wealthy gentleman in a top hat, appearing shocked or overwhelmed while surrounded by stylized women's legs in various fashionable shoes and stockings of the era. The satire likely mocks the experience of a well-to-do visitor navigating New York City's social scene, particularly its obsession with fashionable women and conspicuous consumption. The exaggerated legs and shoes emphasize how the city—especially its female population and their fashion—dominates the visual landscape and captures the attention of male visitors. It's a commentary on vanity, materialism, and the spectacle of modern urban life in early 20th-century New York.