Life — February 17, 1921 — page 11: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Contrast" — A Social Satire on Wealth and Class This drawing by Paul Stabb depicts a comedic scene about conspicuous consumption and social pretension. A fashionably dressed hostess stands while entertaining a seated guest in an ornate, plant-filled interior filled with luxury furnishings and decorative objects. The joke hinges on the guest's comment: the new furniture is "wonderful" but "makes everything else look so shabby." The satire targets the wealthy person's endless consumption cycle—acquiring expensive items creates pressure to replace everything else, leading to perpetual dissatisfaction and competitive spending. The title "Contrast" underscores the irony: despite surrounding herself with finery, the hostess cannot achieve the cohesive elegance she desires. It's social commentary on early 20th-century materialism and status anxiety among the affluent.