Life — July 19, 1900 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Wasting Time" - Life Magazine Cartoon This black-and-white illustration depicts a man in early 20th-century attire (cap, striped shirt, boots) sitting outdoors with an easel, painting palette in hand. He's sketching or painting a landscape. The cartoon's title, "WASTING TIME," appears at bottom right. The satire targets dilettante or amateur artists—likely wealthy or leisured individuals who pursue painting as a casual hobby rather than serious professional work. The figure's somewhat affected posture and the countryside setting suggest someone engaged in genteel leisure activity. The title's implication is that such artistic dabbling represents time squandered on unproductive pursuits, reflecting period attitudes that dismissed amateur artistic endeavor as frivolous compared to "real work."