Life, 1886-06-24 · page 3 of 21
Life — June 24, 1886 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "The Wrong Model" - Life Magazine, June 24, 1886 This satirical cartoon depicts a social embarrassment at what appears to be an artist's studio. A man identified as "Van Kuller" (a character, not a historical figure) has arrived late to a portrait sitting. He angrily confronts two women, demanding to know who the second woman is and insisting she change clothes and leave the studio. The joke hinges on mistaken identity: Van Kuller appears to have brought the wrong woman as his model for the portrait session. The caption reveals his companion is "Miss Beatrix Vere de Vere," who has decided against sitting for the portrait. The satire mocks upper-class social awkwardness and the confusion that ensues when proper decorum breaks down in artistic circles. The humor is situational rather than political.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
NEW YORK, JUNE 24, 1886. Entered at New York Post Office as Second-Class Mail Matter, Copyright, 1806, by MITCHELL & MILLER. VOLUME. VII. NUMBER 182 THE WRONG MODEL. (Enter, with friend, Miss Beatrix Vere de Vere, who has finally decided to sit for her portrait.) Van Kuller (a trifle near-sighted, advances angrily): YOU ARE LATE AGAIN, WHO IS YOUR FRIEND? CHANGE YOUR CLOTHES AND GET INTO POSITION, comicbooks.com