Life — February 28, 1924 — page 27: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical illustration parodies the five senses through exaggerated character sketches. Each sense is depicted in a separate vignette arranged around a central diamond shape: - **Feeling**: A man recoils dramatically from what appears to be a hot surface - **Hearing**: Musicians perform for an audience - **Smelling**: A figure reacts to strong odors - **Tasting**: A diner samples food - **Seeing**: A character observes something The title "Scents and Sensibility" is a pun on Jane Austen's novel "Sense and Sensibility," suggesting the piece mocks exaggerated emotional responses to sensory experiences. The caricatured figures with their theatrical poses ridicule people who overreact or are overly theatrical about everyday sensations—a common satirical target in early 20th-century humor about mannered society.