Life, 1922-07-20 · page 18 of 36
Life — July 20, 1922 — page 18: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This appears to be a classical mythology-themed illustration from *Life* magazine. The caption indicates Bacchus (the Roman god of wine) is being forced outside, though the caption is cut off. The image shows a boatload of cherubic figures (suggesting Roman/classical abundance and revelry) encountering what appears to be a thin, weaponless figure on the shore. Given the caption's reference to Bacchus being "forced outside," this likely satirizes Prohibition—the forced removal of alcohol from American society (1920-1933). The contrast between the plump, celebratory figures with wine/revelry and the figure being expelled suggests commentary on how Prohibition attempted to eliminate drinking culture. The classical gods and cherubs symbolize the pleasure and tradition being eliminated.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
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