Life — February 14, 1924 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is the cover of Life's Valentine's Day issue. The illustration shows Cupid (recognizable by his wings and arrow through his heart) carrying an exaggerated, rotund female figure. The woman wears a scaled or feathered dress and has an oversized body, depicted in an unflattering caricature style typical of 1920s satirical illustration. The caption "It Takes All Kinds—" suggests the joke concerns romantic compatibility or the variety of romantic prospects available. The satirical point appears to mock either the desperation of romance or the physical diversity of potential partners. The grotesque exaggeration of the woman's figure was a common—though by modern standards offensive—comedic device in period humor magazines.