Judge — March 24, 1923 — page 6: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This appears to be a satirical illustration from Judge magazine depicting a scene of high society observation. A well-dressed woman sits in an ornate chair while a man in formal attire (wearing a hat) stands nearby. The caption reads: "Mrs de Nouveau—yes, my dear, I enjoy watching the people pass pro and con!" The satire targets the pretentious nouveau riche (newly wealthy class). "Mrs de Nouveau" is a mocking French-inflected name suggesting affected sophistication. The joke mocks wealthy newcomers who position themselves to observe and judge the passing crowds—implying they see themselves as arbiters of taste and propriety while being socially insecure themselves. The ornate furnishings and formal dress emphasize their conspicuous consumption. Judge frequently ridiculed the social climbing and affectations of America's newly wealthy classes during the Gilded Age.