Life — October 23, 1913 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Taking Your Measure" This October 23, 1913 Life magazine cover uses a double entendre. The illustration shows a woman artist holding both a paintbrush and a measuring tool (palette or gauge), apparently "taking the measure" of a subject—both literally measuring dimensions and figuratively assessing or evaluating someone's character or worth. The title plays on the phrase "taking someone's measure," meaning to form a judgment about them. Given Life's satirical nature and the era's gender commentary, this likely comments on women's emerging roles as professional artists and judges of taste or quality, a relatively novel concept in early 20th-century America. The woman's confident pose suggests she's claiming authority in artistic and critical spheres traditionally dominated by men.