Life — June 22, 1911 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Duveens" - Life Magazine Satire This page critiques **the Duveen art-dealing family**, prominent 20th-century art merchants accused of unethical practices. The text accuses them of: - **Manipulating collectors** through imposing their taste rather than letting buyers choose freely - **Moral compromise**: selling valuable artworks while claiming artistic integrity - **Hypocrisy**: prohibiting art under moral grounds (referencing religious prohibitions) while profiting from art sales The accompanying cartoon shows a doctor and chicken in conversation about curing "freckles"—a visual metaphor for the Duveens' practice of "fixing" or repackaging artworks for profit, removing original character to suit wealthy buyers. The satire argues that art merchants, despite wealth and sophistication, lack genuine morality and good taste without honest dealing.