Life, 1886-12-02 · page 3 of 16
Life — December 2, 1886 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Appreciative" Cartoon Analysis The cartoon depicts an art teacher or critic showing a painting to a seated student or artist named "Van Kobalt." The standing figure says the work has "just been criticizing Van K's work very severely," but the doctor has forbidden it. He then requests the artist's address, saying he wants to know "a physician of such public spirit." The joke is a reversal: by praising the artist's willingness to tolerate harsh criticism without medical complaint, the critic sarcastically suggests that *tolerating* such severe criticism requires exceptional physical and mental health—implying Van Kobalt's work is so bad that hearing criticism about it should cause illness.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
APPRECIATIVE. Van Kobalt: ARE YOU SINGING ANY NOW, FEATHERLY ? Featherly (who has just been criticising Van K's work very severely): NO; MY DOCTOR Has FORBIDDEN IT. Van Kobalt: 1 WISH YOU WOULD GIVE ME HIS ADDRESS. PHYSICIAN OF SUCH PUBLIC SPIRIT. ITEMS OF INTEREST BY LIFE’S CHUM TO PO- TENTATES. WARisimminent between Ttalyand Eng- | land because of the Queen’s having conferred the Order of the Bath on the Italian Minister. It is re- garded as an unwarranted insult to a friendly, if not cleanly, nation and Umberto is justly indignant. * * * ‘Pat Queen writes me that she has finished six hundred and thirty- four more ‘Leaves from the Highlands,” which she is prepared to send to the press on thirty minutes’ notice. An American publisher has offered to take the lot at two cents per gross, but her Majesty is holding out for three. * * RINCE BANSHEE of the Cannibal Islands was invited to a child's party in London last night, and before the police could be called, his Excellency devoured three little boys and a pug belonging to his | hostess. * * * ORD HENRY CHOLMONDELY WORCESTERSHIRE, of Ponsonbyville-on-Mandesby Canal, will be married on Thursday 335 A SERIOUS AFFAIR. “cy K JERE you ever engaged in a duel, Colonel Blood?” “Yes, sah, I was sah.” “Did it terminate seriously ? ” “Yes, sah. I was arrested and fined ten dollars, sah.” SCRAPS. HE Detroit Free Press heads an item “Down on the Dog.” This must have been a freak of nature. * : is said that this country will shortly prégént a bill to Miss Liberty for ground rent. * * * HEY say of his majesty King Kalakaua that as long as he can get gin he is indifferent about taking a bath. * F Boston doesn’t stop referring to the Hon. John L, Sullivan as “our John,” she will hear from New Yorke ina way she won't like. T is said by a traveler that the ordinary Mexican woman wears no bonnet. That may be so; but all the same we shall keep right on preferring the extraordin- ary American woman who does. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW A next to the Lady Henrietta Esther Maria Eveline Hawkinson, daughter of Lord Charles Henry Higginbotham Hawkinson-Hawkinson, of Hawkinson Hall, Hawkinson-on-Hawkinson, Bwtskwylntdz, Wales, The Archbishop of Decanterbury will officiate. * * * i Nigar Marchioness of Dunderry had the honor of contracting pneu- monia while driving with the Queen on Wednesday. * * * ‘Te Czar of Russia, I learn from a recent letter from Emperor Joseph, is in a constant state of terror lest his life betaken. Ever since he discovered a poisoned wick in a plate of fricasseed candle last spring, the Czar’s condition has been pitiable. His last letter to me displayed considerable perturbation of spirit —so much so, in fact, that there were six roubles postage due on it. Other Czars of my acquaint- | ance have never been guilty of such a financial lapse as this, and I can | only attribute it to his Autocracy’s abject state of mind. * * * HE Sultan writes me that if Mr. Sunset Cox does not return to Constantinople, he will hamstring every Christian in Porte. This shows the effect Mr. Cox’s presence has had upon the Ottoman humor. Carlyle Smith, comicbooks.com