Puck — April 1877 — page 7: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical illustration depicts a woman holding wilted flowers, with a sign reading "A Crown of Thorns" beside her. The caption reads "I Never Was a Raving Beauty." The cartoon appears to be commentary on female vanity and aging. The woman—rendered in exaggerated caricature with an elaborate upswept hairstyle and fashionable dress—presents herself with apparent self-awareness about her diminished beauty. The "crown of thorns" reference suggests suffering or martyrdom, implying she endures the hardship of aging ungracefully in a society that values female beauty. The wilted flowers reinforce this theme of faded attractiveness. The satire likely mocks both women's preoccupation with appearance and society's cruel standards regarding aging. The artist's signature appears to read "Keppler."