Life — February 17, 1921 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This illustration depicts a fashionable woman in 1920s attire combing her hair at the beach while sitting on what appears to be a large wave or sea creature. Small cherubs or putti flank her on either side, and a small fish appears in the water below. The cartoon plays on the term "beach comber"—literally someone who combs the beach—by showing a woman literally combing at the beach. It's a visual pun typical of Life magazine's humor style. The idealized, art deco aesthetic and the woman's confident pose reflect the "Modern Woman" aesthetic of the Jazz Age 1920s, celebrating the era's more liberated female fashion and leisure activities. The cherubs suggest romantic or fantastical themes common to period illustration.