Life, 1923-09-13 · page 21 of 36
Life — September 13, 1923 — page 21: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from *Life* magazine presents theatrical reviews alongside a cartoon satirizing artistic pretension. **The Cartoon:** A man (Mr. Marminduke) sits with several people in what appears to be a social gathering. When challenged about whether he writes for fame or money, he replies that he writes for neither—claiming he writes now "that I may have something to read when I grow old." **The Satire:** The joke mocks self-important artists who claim lofty, impractical motivations for their work while avoiding admission of mercenary interests. Marminduke's absurd answer (writing purely for his future entertainment) is presented as pretentious nonsense—a deflection from the reality that artists either seek fame or income. Miss Prattle's skeptical tone suggests everyone recognizes this as transparent posturing. **Context:** This reflects early 1920s cultural attitudes toward artistic vanity and the gap between artists' stated ideals and actual motivations—a recurring *Life* target.
📄 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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