Life, 1927-08-18 · page 8 of 36
Life — August 18, 1927 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes wealthy Americans' pretensions about art and culture. The main article, "Old Masters, Me Foot!", mocks people who purchase reproductions of famous paintings (mentioning Rembrandt) without understanding art. The author ridicules collectors who display works attributed to Old Masters—naming them casually as status symbols rather than genuine acquisitions. The cartoon at bottom depicts a conversation about European travel, with the caption "Where are you going in Europe? To Baden-Baden." This likely jokes about Americans visiting fashionable European spa towns as tourists, suggesting superficial cultural tourism rather than genuine cultural engagement. The "Inside Information" column uses similar mockery, suggesting wealthy Americans pursuing culture lack actual taste or knowledge, merely performing sophistication for social standing.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
weoee “AW—PER PETE'S SAKE DAMN CHER UP, BILLS AT LEAST THERE AIN'T NO TOURISTS Hr.” Old Masters, Me Foot! art gal- Must be on it Well, I It's like Hl, sure, we took in the All of them Clara i for culture leries thousands ted Clara's great guess culture's all) right vthing else foreign, Can't say muekeep it in its place. h for the Old Mas- (They're the artist He: pip You MEET ANYBODY FROM HOME ON YOUR TRIP TO EUROPE? She: AND NOALTHOUGHL TP opip HAVE A fellows who were supposed to be the hundred 10 John Held or Glayas Williams could) draw cat's a few years Perey Crosby or rings sround them No point to their pictures, if you get what Eomean. ‘Take Rembrandt Well, he this guy was cuckoo about painting some bird's head and calling it * rtrait of a Man.” Why, shucks, any idiet could tell it was a Only I these for vigners were » they'd have thor 1 goldfish or a bowl of wax peaches if he hadn't labeled it. “Portrait of 1 Man That's the way Rembrandt and all the If they'd rightout and said “Portrait of Enos G. Luke, sixty- two, of No. 12h South Maple Av enue,” man! Suppose sod t it was with rest. come work up some in- terest in it. But “Por! of a Man hat’s so much od paint and canvas gone clean to waste. Then there was a fellow Corot paint a two ina field and call it) “Rural Scene.” Suppose afraid mistake it 1 bird's-eye view of the Ford plant And I hardly a named who'd cow or he was we'd for “WHERE notice “it's ALL RIGHT, DEARIE one of them signed his stuff. Can you imagine Bud Fisher leaving his off a strip? You Those old bozos may have been long but, they any name can not! on culture, believe didn't Say, speaking of culture, I want to show you some posteards I picked Paris. Close the door and Tip Bliss me, have business sense up in come over here Inside Information H, let her go!) What do T care? (Moonlight was pretty on her hair.) She's not the only girl in sight. (Her eyes would) sparkle in the light.) 1 never liked her very much: (Her cheek was smooth and soft to touch.) ZT won't drink deep from sorrow’s cup! C1 guess FM go and call her up.) Fred B. Maun, Tite mother-in-law should — be careful not to go too far, unless stays there. ARE YOU GOING IN EUROP “TO BADEN-BADEN. -I HEARD YOU THE FIRST TIME.”