Life, 1912-10-03 · page 33 of 56
Life — October 3, 1912 — page 33: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two separate satirical commentaries on early-20th-century culture: **"Art for Art's Sake"** mocks the pretension of interpretative modern dance. Two men discuss overly literal stagings of Wagner's *Nibelungen Ring* opera-cycle, with one complaining that a "bow-legged lady" dancing it is aesthetically ridiculous—satirizing how avant-garde artists claim artistic seriousness while producing absurd results. **"The Hall-mark"** targets social climbing and conspicuous consumption. It jokes that actress Marjorie Mincer (a "soubrette star"—a supporting actress in musicals) now avoids makeup in public to appear as a society lady rather than an entertainer. The satire is that avoiding makeup—ordinarily associated with working performers—has ironically become a status marker of upper-class refinement. Both pieces ridicule 1913 anxieties about authenticity, social position, and artistic pretension among the urban middle and upper classes.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE coop Art for Art’s Sake MT BESE interpretative dances are getting a bit too literal for me,” observes the man with the tame whiskers, “Too sei ional?" asks the other. Not e9 y that, but the latest one is to have the Nibelungen Ring danced hy a bow-legged lady.” iy | ™ 1913 SAMARITAN The Hall-mark “[SNT that Marjorie Mincer, the soubrette star?” Yes.” “Bot she hasn't a particle of make-up on her face aint and powder on the street any more for fear she might he mistaken for a society leader.” A DRESS REHEARSAL comicbooks.com