Life — June 17, 1920 — page 26: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical sketch depicts a man asleep at a desk, dreaming of luxurious abundance. The dream imagery shows bottles (likely wine or spirits), food, and lavish items floating above him in an ethereal cloud. The contrast between his ordinary reality—hunched at a simple desk or table—and his fantastical reverie suggests commentary on working-class aspiration or yearning. The "popular man" likely refers to someone of modest means daydreaming of wealth and indulgence he cannot afford. The sketch mocks either the gap between common people's desires and their actual circumstances, or perhaps satirizes what "popularity" or social success means in materialistic terms. The detailed crosshatching emphasizes the shadowy, ephemeral nature of such dreams versus concrete reality.