Life — September 27, 1900 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This is an illustration titled "In the Swim, Dedicated to Extravagans" from Life magazine (copyright 1900, Life Publishing Co.). The image shows hands emerging from water—appearing to depict drowning or struggling figures. The title "In the Swim" is a period idiom meaning to be fashionable or part of the social scene, while "Extravagans" (likely "Extravagants") suggests wasteful spenders. The satire appears to mock wealthy or fashionable people who engage in excessive spending or frivolous behavior—they're "in the swim" socially but literally drowning in their own extravagance. The dramatic, somewhat grotesque rendering of the hands emphasizes the critique's moral tone, suggesting such excess leads to ruin or peril.