Life — January 20, 1916 — page 17: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical sketch depicts three generations of men in a Victorian-era parlor. The caption "The Third Generation" suggests commentary on family decline or moral deterioration across generations. The composition shows: an older man (first generation) relaxing in a chair, a middle-aged man (second generation) seated nearby, and a young man (third generation) visible in a mirror or portrait above the fireplace, appearing more refined or affected than his predecessors. The satire likely critiques how successive generations become increasingly idle, effete, or removed from practical values—a common Victorian anxiety about inherited wealth and aristocratic decay. The positioning emphasizes the contrast between the comfortable, recumbent older men and the presumably more "refined" younger generation, mocking both the degeneracy of leisure and affected manners.