Life — September 13, 1917 — page 2: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page is primarily an **advertisement for Fisk Tires**, not political satire. The artwork, by Maxfield Parrish, depicts a classical female figure (likely representing Mercury or a similar mythological character) balanced acrobatically on a tire. She holds aloft a fantastical landscape painting showing dramatic mountains and a castle. The tagline "The Modern Magic Shoes" is advertising copy, comparing tires to magical footwear that enables impossible feats. The acrobatic pose and mythological imagery suggest the tires provide superior performance and reliability—allowing drivers to accomplish extraordinary things. This reflects early 20th-century advertising strategy: using artistic prestige (Parrish was famous for commercial illustrations) and classical mythology to elevate mundane products into symbols of modernity and wonder.