Life — March 6, 1924 — page 7: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a title page or cover featuring a satirical illustration of **John Singer Sargent**, the famous American portrait painter. The caption reads: "A Dealer in Oils of Whom Life is Justly Proud." The cartoon depicts Sargent as an artistic figure surrounded by cherubs and holding a painter's palette, presenting him as a master of his craft. The pun on "dealer in oils" plays on both his profession (painting in oils) and suggests he's a commercial success. The date stamp shows **MAR -4 1924**, placing this in Life's early period as a satirical weekly. The illustration celebrates Sargent's prominence in American art and culture of the era, though the "justly proud" caption suggests gentle mockery of either his self-importance or American pride in his accomplishments.