Life — April 1, 1920 — page 37: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains a satirical illustration depicting a social scene with four figures. The caption reads: "CONGRATULATIONS, OLD FELLOW, ON YOUR MARRIAGE TO MRS. PONSBY. EXTRORDINARILY LOVELY WOMAN." / "QUITE REMARKABLE, I ASSURE YOU. ALL I CAN DO TO KEEP FROM MAKING LOVE TO HER." The cartoon appears to satirize marital infidelity and impropriety among wealthy society. A man congratulates another on his marriage, who then boasts—shockingly for the era—about his difficulty restraining himself from romantic advances toward his own wife. The humor derives from this frank admission of desire crossing social boundaries of propriety and restraint expected of gentlemen. The elegantly dressed figures and ornate interior suggest upper-class setting, making the crude sentiment a commentary on hypocrisy within refined society.